Trump Using Campaign Funds to Pay Russia Defense Bills: Report

Some money is also coming from the Republican National Committee
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 19, 2017 6:24 PM CDT
Trump Using Campaign Funds to Pay Russia Defense Bills: Report
President Donald Trump speaks at a luncheon at the United Nations, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Trump is using money donated to his reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee to pay the legal costs of defending himself in the ongoing Russia probe, Reuters states in an exclusive report. While it's legal and routine for elected officials to use campaign funds to pay legal bills arising from things like recounts and ballot access disputes, it's highly unusual for them to use such funds to defend against a criminal probe. In fact, Trump would be the first president "in the modern campaign finance era" to do so. "That's none of your business," Trump's lawyer told Reuters when asked how the legal bills are being paid. An RNC spokesperson says its share of the money comes from a standing legal defense fund and won't impact its spending on "political work." It's unclear how big a legal bill Trump has racked up in relation to the Russia investigation. (More Donald Trump stories.)

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