“$837,000 Owed to Blanche Law” — Unpacking Donald Trump’s Legal Costs Through FEC Filings
© REUTERS / KEVIN LAMARQUE
Recent disclosures to the Federal Election Commission have illuminated the considerable legal expenses accrued by former President Donald Trump, revealing a complex web of debts and payments to multiple law firms. These filings have shown that the Save America leadership PAC, often described as a legal fund for Trump, has accumulated over $1.1 million in debts to five different law firms, with the largest single debt amounting to $837,000 to Blanche Law.
Blanche Law, led by Trump’s primary attorney Todd Blanche, who is at the forefront of the Manhattan hush money trial, is a significant creditor. Over a two-week period in April, coinciding with the start of Trump’s trial, the firm received nearly $854,000. Blanche’s representation of Trump extends beyond the hush money case to include the classified documents issue at Mar-a-Lago and the federal election interference case in Washington D.C., reflecting the breadth of legal challenges facing the former president.
In addition to the substantial fees directed to Blanche Law, the PAC also owes $168,000 to a firm associated with Steven Yurowitz, who is another key figure in the hush money trial. Furthermore, the Dhillon Law Group, founded by Harmeet Dhillon—a California Republican National Committee member and recent RNC chair candidate—claims $96,000 in outstanding payments from the PAC.
Despite these debts, Dhillon affirmed to The Daily Beast that the PAC was up to date with payments and expressed pride in representing them. The legal financial burden on Save America has surged, with the PAC’s legal debt increasing by $245,000 from March to April. Despite this increase, the filings also indicate some financial management, as debts to the law firm Robert & Robert have been settled, clearing the charges for their services in the New York fraud case.
Throughout April, Save America disbursed nearly $3.3 million across almost a dozen law firms for legal consulting. Significant payments were made to Chris Kise, amounting to over half a million dollars for his involvement in both the hush money and classified documents cases. Additionally, John Lauro received $390,000 for his collaborative efforts with Blanche in the election interference case.
Payments also included $174,000 to the James Otis Law Group LLC, led by D. John Sauer who represented Trump’s immunity claims before the U.S. Supreme Court, and $140,000 to the firm of Trump’s lawyer and spokesperson, Alina Habba. This intricate financial landscape highlights the ongoing and costly legal battles faced by Trump, as detailed by the recent FEC filings.
