RNC Has Paid More Than $1.7 Million in Trump’s Personal Legal Bills Since October — But That Ends If He Runs

Kipp JonesJul 27th, 2022, 4:19 pm
 
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The Republican National Committee has warned former President Donald Trump it will no longer pay his legal bills if he announces a White House bid before the November midterms, per a report.

ABC News’ Jonathan Karl reported the RNC has paid an estimated $1.7 million in Trump’s legal expenses since last fall.

Karl and ABC’s Soo Rin Kim reported there is a belief Trump might tank the Republican Party’s chances in November, should he insert himself into coming congressional races:

Republican leaders who worry that Donald Trump could hurt their midterm chances by announcing a presidential run too soon are hoping he’ll be dissuaded from doing so by the prospect of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal payments, according to an RNC official.

Since October 2021, the Republican National Committee has paid nearly $2 million to law firms representing Trump as part of his defense against personal litigation and government investigations.

But an RNC official told ABC News that as soon as Trump would announce he is running for president, the payments would stop because the party has a “neutrality policy” that prohibits it from taking sides in the presidential primary.

The report comes two weeks after Politico’s Meridith McGraw reported the RNC would no longer be able to assist Trump financially if he ran. The party cited neutrality rules.

McCraw reported:

[Trump] has been warned by top party leaders not to announce a run before the midterms. A premature announcement, they say, would suck money and momentum away from Republican candidates and the ex-president would be blamed for any losses.

Trump has hinted at a third bid for the White House, but has yet to officially declare himself as a candidate.

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