Donald Trump's PAC wants a refund from Donald Trump's super PAC:
The political action committee that has been paying former President Donald J. Trump’s legal fees requested a refund on a $60 million contribution it made to the super PAC supporting the Republican front-runner, according to two people familiar with the matter.
....The refund was sought as the political action committee, Save America, spent more than $40 million in legal fees incurred by Mr. Trump and witnesses in various legal cases related to him this year alone, according to another person familiar with the matter.
Spending $40 million in six months is impressive. That's a run rate of $1.5 million per week. No wonder they need that $60 million back. Still, at least Trump doesn't have to pay any of it himself. Instead he's using money his donors thought was going to his reelection effort:
Trump advisers told The Washington Post that the PAC, which raises most of its money from small-dollar contributions by Trump supporters across the country, is footing the legal bills for almost anyone drawn into the investigations who requests help from the former president and his advisers, the advisers say.
Small dollar donors. What a bunch of suckers, amirite?
That’s a lot of billable hours, even at the Kirkland and Ellis rate of ~$1,250 an hour. More or less 1200 billable hours a week. (I know that some of this has to be less expensive—much less expensive—paralegals.). I have no idea how many lawyers that equates to, basically working full time.
How many of his associates legal fees is he actually paying? I know he stopped paying for Rudy Giuliani some time back.
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What do you call 100 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean….?
A start...
Presumably, that run rate is higher now than 6 months ago, and will only get higher over time as additional indictments are presented across multiple jurisdictions and trials move forward.
It would be mildly amusing if he stops paying his lawyers and declares bankruptcy.
"It would be mildly amusing if he stops paying his lawyers and declares bankruptcy."
Ha ha ha! I am totally going to have to steal that line!
D_Orhk
But then wouldn't he need a bankruptcy attorney?
???? rimshot
He does, but you know, like one of his current lawyers, they'll probably resort to a massive upfront retainer fee.
Trump evidently is not paying any lawyers at the present time. His legal fees are being paid by a bunch of suckers. I doubt he has put his hand in his pocket even once since the whole thing started.
I'm speculating about a future point where the PACs have to decide whether to stop the bleeding on the campaign or support the guy's legal fees.
I don’t think it’s ever going to come to that. The people who’re funding the PACs are basically members of a cult. I can’t see them cutting off their orange messiah so I think the money’s going to keep rolling in.
Now look, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using contributions sold to donors as being for a future campaign to fund the defense against alleged past criminality! I mean, everybody expects politicians to lie and commit fraud, amirite? And there's also nothing wrong with paying the lawyers for all the people who might incriminate you with their testimony, because of course those lawyers would never consider your interests rather than their nominal client's. Who would think that the guy paying the bills might actually be calling the shots? Really, it's just mean, especially when you consider how generous he has been with paying lawyers in the past!
He hasn't approached Ken Paxton in illegality, but he's way ahead in the scale of his grift.
I would not be surprised if DJT (the person) charged a commission to both the PAC and the Super PAC for using his likeness, his signature, his voice and hair color for all activities.
It wouldn’t surprise me if DJT was making his lawyers kick up a portion of the fees his lawyers are collecting from his different PACs.
"Small dollar donors. What a bunch of suckers, amirite?"
Since Trump's donors think he is being persecuted I expect they don't mind that their money is going towards his legal fees.
Yes.
Feeling excessively solicitious of them is rather bleeding heart....
Most important is that there is not unlimited money, so Trump is effectively acting as a bleeder to Repulbican party political tappable cash.
If the US had a strong party system, Party ledership woould shut this off, it's clearly detrimental to everyone but Trump (which you really should return to, open party "democracy" clearly does nothing particularly positive, only opens doors to dangerous populist hijacking, and leads in 2 party structure merely to a tiny minority being in disguised control behind a façade of pretence)
The peculiar dynamic of the American political system makes it impossible for any leaders of the Republican Party to control MAGA nutters. Gerrymandering, the electoral college, and the senate means that Republicans almost never need to worry about general elections, which are increasingly seen as mere formalities. But to be elected, one must first be nominated by the party.
That means republicans must always and only fear being defeated in the party’s primary by MAGA. Which means that until he drops dead, Trump calls the shots in the Republican Party.
If that's the case, then why isn't he raising money in the name of his legal defense, rather than pretending it's for the campaign. It's _almost_ as if he, himself, thinks the small dollar donors would mind their money going to legal fees for a billionaire. In fact, it's seems like they might mind quite a bit.
Why did Trump's PAC contribute to his Super PAC?
"Small dollar donors. What a bunch of suckers, amirite?" is the wrong question.
"There but for the grace of God go I, amirite?" is the right question.
In other words, we humans believe in things that serve us in a familiar context, and then we continue to believe them in a novel context long after they've stopped serving us. Why? Because we're too attached to the belief.
That's why we have to be willing to ask the amirite question and be open to answer, even if it seems wrong, because right seem wrong when we're attached to wrong.
MAGA Republicans are friendly to Trump because the enemy of my enemy is my friend. But the sides are not Left and Right. Instead, the sides are up and down, where up is openminded and down is closeminded to advice from others.
In other words, MAGA Republicans are closeminded toward advice from others and I know I am not on their side because I am not like that. Amirite?
"If I’ve learned anything, it’s that we can never let the chaos and injustice make us so blind with anger that we become part of the problem. Understanding, compassion, kindness, and love are the only true revolutionary ideals. When we compromise those, we become what we despise, and we lose our humanity."
- From Bones, Season 3, Episode 2, The Soccer Mom in the Mini-Van
Powerful new MAGA dietary supplement,
Trump's Tiny White Balls,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrW4I6hcvhw
"Spending $40 million in six months is impressive. That's a run rate of $1.5 million per week"
$1.5M × 6mos. = $9M.
Correct. Now do the same math with $1.5 per WEEK.
$1.5M x 6 mos x 4 1/3 wks (per month) = $39M
Fixed it for you!
“the PAC, which raises most of its money from small-dollar contributions by Trump supporters across the country, is footing the legal bills for almost anyone drawn into the investigations who requests help”
There is a reason this and it ain’t because Trump is generous or cares what happens to everyone who committed crimes on his behalf.
"...money his donors thought was going to his reelection effort."
C'mon. Everybody knows his legal defense and his reelection efforts are one and the same.
People keep wondering why any self-respecting lawyer would want to represent Trump. I think it's pretty clear now -- it's a fire hose of $$$$. And Trump pays up now because it's not costing him personally a thing. His rube supporters are footing the bill. You just have to steer clear of accidentally letting Trump make you an accessory after the fact or co-conspirator in an obstruction-of-justice scheme, but other than that... ka-ching!
Just back of the envelope at an average rate of 750 an hour (mix of partners, associates and paralegal with some support staff time thrown in) you are talking 50 people using the combined rate.
You unpack the combined rate, and you are talking 65-80 people of all skills levels working his various lawsuits. Across the various legal actions, that is nothing for the potential trial prep . . . his legal fees are going to start really ramping up.
Given the amount of trouble lawyers have managed to get into while representing Trump or one of his various business and political organizations, I would expect there is a significant risk premium. Lawyers are probably charging Trump double or triple their usual rate.
If the Trump Super PAC doesn't refund the money to the Trump PAC will we get the pleasure of one Trump PAC suing the other? And both sides being paid by Trump donors? And Trump posting ranting tweets attacking/praising both sides?
Is there enough popcorn in the world to supply this shitshow?