The Democratic National Committee used over $1.5 million in campaign funds to cover legal costs for President Biden during an investigation into his handling of classified documents, which was led by special counsel Robert Hur and concluded in February. The payments were made to lawyers and firms representing the president, including Bob Bauer PLLC and Hemenway & Barnes. Despite criticizing Donald Trump for using campaign funds to pay for his legal expenses, the DNC defended their decision to cover Biden’s legal bills.
Hur’s report on the investigation stated that he chose not to pursue charges against Biden, as he believed the president would likely present himself as an elderly man with a poor memory at trial. The DNC money also went towards hiring high-profile lawyer David Laufman, who had previously worked on the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private email server and the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The payments to legal firms were first reported by Axios.
The DNC and Biden’s 2024 campaign have been vocal in their criticism of Trump for using campaign funds to cover his legal costs, accusing him of using billionaire donations to pay off his various legal fees. The Biden campaign’s finance chair, Rufus Gifford, emphasized that the money they raise goes towards talking to voters and not towards legal bills. Despite the DNC’s past criticism of Trump’s use of campaign funds, they ultimately decided to cover Biden’s legal expenses.
In comparison, Trump-affiliated groups have used a larger share of funds, over $50 million from political action committees like Save America and Make America Great Again Inc., to pay down legal bills. The Republican National Committee has denied covering Trump’s legal expenses, but Save America reportedly requested a $60 million refund after siphoning off money to MAGA Inc. The Biden campaign’s representative Alex Floyd emphasized that the DNC does not use grassroots donors’ money for legal bills like Trump does.
In response to the revelations about the DNC covering Biden’s legal costs, Trump’s team criticized the Biden campaign’s supposed hypocrisy, referring to statements claiming they do not spend money on Biden’s legal bills while attacking Trump for having to defend himself. Karoline Leavitt, a national spokesperson for Trump 2024, accused Joe Biden of not taking responsibility for his legal expenses and relying on DNC funds to cover them instead. Despite the controversy, both campaigns continue to focus on their efforts leading up to the upcoming elections.
