The Democratic National Committee paid at least $1.7 million to law firms representing President Biden during Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into his handling of classified documents. While Hur declined to prosecute the president, he stated that Mr. Biden “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials” after his vice presidency ended in 2017. Bob Bauer PLLC, the president’s personal attorney in the documents matter, received over $1 million from the committee between July 2023 and February. Additionally, Hemenway and Barnes, another law firm, received monthly payments of $100,000 during the same timeframe.
Bauer and former Justice Department official David Laufman accompanied the president during his interview with the special counsel in October 2023. Jennifer Miller, an attorney at Hemenway and Barnes, was also part of the president’s personal legal team. Both Bauer and Hemenway and Barnes had provided legal services to the DNC before the Justice Department probe into Mr. Biden’s handling of classified documents, which began in late 2022. The DNC did not respond immediately to requests for comment on the matter.
Both President Biden and former President Donald Trump have incurred significant legal fees, with both relying on political donations to cover these costs. The Biden campaign criticized Trump’s practice of using politically allied groups to cover attorneys’ fees, highlighting their cash advantage over Trump and the millions spent on his legal defense by supporting entities. In January 2023, when asked about who was paying Mr. Biden’s legal bills, the Democratic National Committee and spokespeople for the president and his legal team declined to provide a direct answer.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the legal representation for President Biden was provided by his private attorney, implying that Biden was personally responsible for the legal fees. The involvement of the DNC in paying for the president’s legal representation raises questions about the use of party funds for such purposes, especially in high-profile legal matters involving classified documents. The significant expenses incurred by both President Biden and former President Trump shed light on the financial challenges faced by political figures when dealing with legal issues.
