Trump campaign spent more than it gained in January as concerns that RNC will front legal costs stir

 

Robert (Ribbit) LaMar

 

This BLOG also appears in the Washington Examiner where Ribbit Rob appears every Tuesday and Thursday!!!! 

Former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign spent more than it raised in the first month of 2024 by more than $2 million.

The campaign’s burn rate in January was revealed soon after Trump’s preferred selection for new co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, daughter-in-law Lara Trump, said she would spend “every single penny” to elect him at the already financially struggling party apparatus — raising concerns that the organization will resume fronting the GOP front-runner’s legal bills should he become the party’s nominee...

According to a new Federal Election Commission filing, Trump’s campaign pulled in $8.8 million in January. However, he spent $11.4 million. Going into the month, the former president boasted a war chest of $33 million in cash on hand. By the end of January, it had fallen to $30.4 million...

The RNC lagged behind the Democratic National Committee in fundraising going into the presidential election year and would face increased hurdles if it resumed paying Trump’s legal fees upon a potential merger with his campaign if he becomes the GOP nominee.

The RNC has spent millions on Trump’s legal fees in the past, including almost $2 million in 2021 and 2022 on two legal firms working on the former president’s behalf, according to Politico. The RNC stopped paying for the former president’s legal battles after he launched his 2024 campaign...

The latest campaign finance report also follows scrutiny over the amount Trump’s associated groups have shelled out for his legal fees, reportedly $55.6 million in 2023, and the recent rulings against the former president ordering him to pay sums of $83.3 million and $355 million in separate civil cases...

However, Trump’s campaign was not alone in its spending habits. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley also saw her campaign burn through money faster than it was able to raise it in 2023...

Haley’s team raised $11.5 million during the first month of 2024, which bested Trump’s $8.8 million, but she also spent $13.1 million. Haley began the year with $14.5 million in available cash and ended January with $12.9 million...