(JustPatriots.com)- There are some major GOP donors who are not happy that the Republican Party is continuing to cover the legal bills that are being racked up by former President Donald Trump.
In the months of October through November, nearly $720,000 was spent by the Republican National Committee to pay various law firms that represent Trump. Campaign finance reports show that these funds are coming from donor money, and they are going to defend Trump in legal challenges that include New York’s criminal investigations into his business dealings.
Between September and November, the Republican Party has spent roughly $3 million in legal expenditures.
It’s not out of the ordinary for a political party to pay for legal and advisers’ fees for former presidents, if the suits are related to their campaigns.
The Republican Party has for a while now covered legal expenses for Trump and his political allies along with members of his family — and it’s gone all the way back to the investigation into the presidential election of 2016 by then Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
What some legal experts told ABC News, though, is that it’s odd that the GOP would continue to pay for the former president’s legal fees, especially since the investigations have nothing to do with his presidential campaigns.
The Campaign Legal Center’s federal reforms director, Brendan Fischer, commented recently:
“Campaign finance law does not strictly prohibit a national party committee from paying for private legal expenses, but it is very rare for a party committee to use donor money in that way.
“And it is entirely unprecedented for a national party committee to cover a former president’s private legal bills, especially when those legal expenses arise out of an investigation into activity that preceded Trump’s time in the White House, and when Trump is sitting on millions of his own PAC funds.”
Emma Vaughn, a spokesperson for the RNC, wouldn’t comment to ABC News on the specific cases that the GOP is paying for in regard to Trump. However, she did say the group’s executive committee approved them paying for “certain legal expenses that related to politically-motivated legal proceedings waged against President Trump.”
She continued:
“As a leader of our party, defending President Trump and his record of achievement is critical to the GOP. It is entirely appropriate for the RNC to continue assisting in fighting back against the Democrats’ never-ending witch hunt and attacks on him.”
Not all Republicans are on board with these payments. Francis Rooney, a former representative from Florida, said it was “very disheartening” that the RNC is using donor funds to pay for the former president’s legal bills.
Rooney is a big GOP donor, giving more than $1 million to multiple groups and candidates throughout the years. He retired after clashing with many people within the party that backed Trump, though. As he said:
“I used to support the RNC quite a bit, especially when Reince Priebus was there. But I don’t see myself doing it right now because they keep giving money to Trump.”
