The Democratic National Committee used nearly $2 million to pay lawyers who represented President Joe Biden in the recent special counsel investigation into his handling of classified documents. Federal Election Commission data shows multiple payments totalling $1.05 million to Bob Bauer LLC and $100,000 payments to law firm Hemenway & Barnes, both of which were part of Biden’s legal team during the probe. While the exact amount spent on the investigation is not specified in the disclosures, reports suggest at least $1.5 million went towards defending the probe.
The payments are legal but have come under scrutiny as the Biden campaign has previously criticized former President Donald Trump for using donor money to pay his legal bills. Trump’s Save America PAC has spent over $51 million on legal fees since the start of 2023, a stark contrast to the amount spent by the DNC on Biden’s legal defense. DNC spokesman Alex Floyd defended the payments, noting that the DNC does not use grassroots donors’ money for legal bills, unlike Trump who actively solicits legal fees from his supporters. Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz highlighted that small-donor money was used to spread the campaign’s message, unlike Trump who is asking retirees and hard-working Americans to pay off his legal fees.
Biden campaign officials had previously criticized Trump for using campaign donations to pay for his legal fees, with campaign finance chairman Rufus Gifford emphasizing that every dime given to the Biden-Harris campaign goes towards communicating with voters, not legal expenses. Campaign co-chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg took a jab at Trump’s recent fundraiser, suggesting that it was about plotting how to pay legal bills and buy political favor instead of connecting with voters. Republicans have seized on the report to call out the Biden campaign for the payments, with the RNC research account tweeting “Pot, meet kettle” and a Trump campaign spokesperson accusing the Biden campaign of lies and hypocrisy.
The special counsel investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents did not result in any charges but raised political concerns due to the suggestion that Biden could paint himself as an elderly man with a poor memory to jurors. This echoed criticisms from the Trump campaign about Biden’s age. Trump, on the other hand, is facing multiple criminal and civil cases, including a separate special counsel investigation into his handling of classified documents and his attempts to overturn the election loss. A trial on hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels is set to begin on Monday. The revelation of DNC payments for Biden’s legal defense comes amid ongoing scrutiny of campaign finance practices and the use of donor funds for legal fees.
