NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Donald Trump's new joint fundraising agreement with the Republican 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Committee directs donations to his campaign and a political action committee that pays the former president's legal bills before the RNC gets a cut, according to a fundraising invitation obtained by The Associated Press.
The unorthodox diversion of funds to the Save America PAC makes it more likely that Republican donors could see their money go to Trump's lawyers, who have received over the last two years to defend him against four felony indictments and multiple civil cases. Some Republicans are already that Trump鈥檚 takeover of the RNC could shortchange the .
Trump has invited high-dollar donors to Palm Beach, Florida, for an April 6 fundraiser that comes as his fundraising is well behind President Joe Biden and national Democrats. The invitation's fine print says donations to the Trump 47 Committee will first be used to give the maximum amount allowed under federal law to Trump鈥檚 campaign. Anything left over from the donation next goes toward a maximum contribution to Save America, and then anything left from there goes to the RNC and then to state political parties.
Adav Noti, the executive director of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center in Washington, said that is a break from fundraising norms. Usually, Noti said, candidates prioritize raising cash that can be spent directly on campaign activity. Save America, on the other hand, is structured as a 鈥渓eadership PAC鈥 and thus barred from spending directly on Trump鈥檚 own campaign activities. Legal spending made up 85% of Save America鈥檚 total operating expenses during the first two months of this year, roughly the same as 2023, when such expenses were about 89%. It has spent $8.5 million on legal fees so far this year.
鈥淭he reason most candidates don鈥檛 do this is because the hardest money to raise is money that can be spent directly on the campaign,鈥 said Noti, a former staff attorney for the Federal Election Commission. 鈥淣o other candidate has used a leadership PAC the way the Trump campaign has.鈥
The Trump campaign noted that Save America spends on expenses other than legal fees and that donors to the April fundraiser who contribute the suggested $814,600 per person or $250,000 per person will only have $5,000 of their donation go to Save America, sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to the RNC.
鈥淪ave America also covers a very active and robust post-Presidency office and other various expenses not related to fighting the illegal witch-hunts perpetrated by Crooked Joe Biden. The Trump campaign, the RNC, and state GOP parties ultimately receive the overwhelming majority of funds raised through the Trump 47 Committee. Out of an Individual donor鈥檚 maximum contribution of $824,600, less than 1% (.006%) goes to Save America," Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign communications director, said in a statement.
A separate contribution form for the Trump 47 Committee allows donors to give smaller contributions or a contribution of any size but still spells out in the fine print that the donation is first to be allocated to the Trump campaign and Save America.
Trump鈥檚 handpicked leadership team for the RNC includes his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who is the committee鈥檚 co-chair, and Chris LaCivita, who serves effectively as one of two campaign managers for the Trump campaign and is now also taking on a chief of staff role at the RNC.
Lara Trump in February said she thought Republican voters would like to .
But shortly before the leadership change was voted in at the RNC, LaCivita that 鈥渘ot a penny of the RNC鈥檚 money or, for that matter, the campaign鈥檚 money has gone or will go to pay legal fees,鈥 he said.
Before Trump was a candidate, the RNC was paying some of his legal bills for cases in New York that began when he was president, . Former Chair Ronna McDaniel, who was ousted this month, said in 2022 that the RNC would stop paying once Trump became a candidate.
The new arrangement doesn鈥檛 direct RNC funds to lawyers, but it ensures that when checks are written to the new combined Republican campaign, Trump鈥檚 campaign and Save America get paid first.
According to the fine print, any donor who wishes can direct their contribution to be distributed differently. Donors could also bypass the fundraising arrangement and give directly to the RNC or any other entity.
Trump's political operation is struggling to catch up to Biden on fundraising and organization. His main campaign account and the Save America PAC and ended the month with more than $37 million on hand, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission Wednesday night.
The two committees are key parts of Trump鈥檚 fundraising operation but only a portion of the picture. The rest of his fundraising apparatus is scheduled to report updated numbers in April, along with the new Trump 47 Committee formed with the Republican 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Committee.
鈥淭rump is in dire need of money to pay his legal fees and he鈥檚 draining his PAC and he鈥檚 spending huge amounts of money out of his campaign committee,鈥 said Brett Kappel, a longtime campaign finance attorney who has represented both Republicans and Democrats.
Biden鈥檚 campaign, meanwhile, last month and ended February with $155 million on hand. That includes Biden鈥檚 joint fundraising with the Democratic 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Committee. The full picture will not be available until April when some of the committees in his political operation are due to file reports.
His main campaign account raised $21 million in February, according to its latest filing with the FEC, and ended the month with $71 million on hand.
As the party鈥檚 presumptive nominee, Trump effectively controls the RNC and his political operation can now take advantage of the far higher contribution limits that apply to party committees. While candidates can accept a maximum donation of $3,300, under the joint fundraising agreement, a single donor could sign a check for just over $800,000, while a couple could contribute $1.6 million.
The April 6 fundraiser slated to benefit the Trump 47 Committee lists billionaire investor John Paulson as a host and co-chairs include Robert Bigelow, a Las Vegas-based businessman who had supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign; New York grocery billionaire John Catsimatidis; Linda McMahon, the former World Wrestling Entertainment executive and head of the Small Business Administration while Trump was president; casino mogul Steve Wynn; and former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler.
Guests are asked to contribute $814,600 per person as a 鈥渃hairman鈥 contributor, which comes with seating at Trump's table, or $250,000 per person as a 鈥渉ost committee' contributor. Both options come with a photo opportunity and a personalized copy of featuring photographs from his administration, 鈥漁ur Journey Together."
Three of Trump's former rivals for the GOP nomination 鈥 South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy 鈥 are all slated to appear as 鈥渟pecial guests.鈥
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This story has been updated to include a Trump statement. Associated Press writers Brian Slodysko and Aaron Kessler in Washington contributed to this report.
