Democratic donors covered more than $1 million in legal fees racked up by attorneys representing President Joe Biden in a yearlong special counsel probe into his handling of classified documents. The use of party funds to cover Biden’s legal bills is not without precedent and falls within the bounds of campaign finance law, but it could cloud Biden’s ability to continue to hammer former President Donald Trump over his far more extensive use of donor funds to cover his legal bills.
Quick Read
- Legal Fee Coverage: Democratic donors have paid over $1 million in legal fees for President Joe Biden during a special counsel investigation into his handling of classified documents.
- Campaign Finance Legality: The use of party funds to cover Biden’s legal expenses aligns with campaign finance law and follows historical precedent, though similar actions have been widely utilized by former President Donald Trump to a much greater extent.
- Comparison to Trump: Trump has used over $100 million in donor funds for various legal challenges, including a criminal trial in New York and issues related to the January 6 Capitol insurrection and mishandling classified documents.
- Political Criticism: Biden’s campaign has previously criticized Trump for his substantial legal expenditures, which have reportedly strained GOP campaign finances and impacted Republican efforts in battleground states.
- Campaign Statements: Biden campaign finance chair, Rufus Gifford, highlighted the contrast between Biden’s and Trump’s campaign spending, particularly noting that Biden’s campaign is not focusing resources on legal bills.
- Disclosure and Funding: The payments for Biden’s legal fees were made public through regular campaign finance reports, with funding coming from the Democratic National Committee’s legal account, supported by high-dollar donors who maxed out their federal contributions.
- Republican Reaction: The Republican National Committee criticized the Democrats for hypocrisy given their use of funds for legal fees, amidst ongoing political and legal battles.
The Associated Press has the story:
Democratic donors paid more than $1M for Biden’s legal bills for special counsel probe
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Democratic donors covered more than $1 million in legal fees racked up by attorneys representing President Joe Biden in a yearlong special counsel probe into his handling of classified documents.
The use of party funds to cover Biden’s legal bills is not without precedent and falls within the bounds of campaign finance law, but it could cloud Biden’s ability to continue to hammer former President Donald Trump over his far more extensive use of donor funds to cover his legal bills.
The former president has tapped more than $100 million in donor money for a web of legal challenges, ranging from his upcoming criminal trial in New York over hush money payments to ongoing prosecutions over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection and his refusal to turn over classified documents to the federal government after leaving office.
For months, Biden aides and advisers have criticized Trump and Republicans for their spending on the former president’s legal issues, which has left the GOP campaign cash-strapped and diverted resources from battleground states.
“We are not spending money on legal bills or hawking gold sneakers,” Biden campaign finance chair Rufus Gifford told MSNBC last week.
The payments to Biden attorney Bob Bauer and the law firm Hemenway & Barnes were disclosed in regular campaign finance reports to the Federal Election Commission. Two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the payments, confirmed the money went for work on the Biden probe. Axios first reported on the payments.
The money for Biden’s legal team came from the Democratic National Committee’s legal account, according to the people. That account is primarily funded by high-dollar donors who have already met federal contribution limits for the party’s political activities.
“If these corrupt Democrats didn’t have HYPOCRISY, they’d have NOTHING!” the Republican National Committee said in a post Friday on X.
