According to a report by Axios, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) chipped in to cover President Joe Biden’s legal expenses during the special counsel investigation into his handling of classified documents. This insight comes from two sources that are familiar with the situation and a review of campaign finance documents.
Axios stated that the DNC’s financial records show they paid over $1.5 million to attorneys representing Biden throughout the investigation. These payments seem contradictory given recent criticisms from the Biden campaign towards former President Donald Trump for using campaign funds for legal expenses.
The report details the DNC’s financial disbursements, revealing that between July 2023 and February 2024, they allocated just over $1 million to Bob Bauers PLLC, the legal entity for Biden’s lead attorney, Bob Bauers. These funds primarily covered expenses related to the investigation.
Joe Biden (Credits: Bryan Times)
Additionally, in July, the DNC increased monthly payments to the law firm Hemenway & Barnes from $15,000 to $100,000. Although Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report identified Jennifer Miller from this firm as one of Biden’s attorneys, it remains unclear how much of the augmented funds were designated for Biden’s legal costs.
Despite these financial contributions, Hur opted not to pursue charges against Biden. The DNC has criticized Trump for using campaign contributions to cover legal fees.
In response to recent fundraising efforts by Trump, a deputy campaign manager for Biden characterized it as “a handful of billionaires figuring out how to pay his legal bills,” as reported by The Washington Post.
Joe Biden (Credits: India TV News)
DNC spokesperson Alex Floyd emphasized the distinction between their approach and Trump’s, asserting that the DNC doesn’t allocate grassroots donors’ funds towards legal expenses. Floyd pointed out Trump’s active solicitation of legal fees from his supporters and his utilization of various financial resources for personal purposes.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing, labeling the multitude of legal challenges and allegations against him as politically motivated attempts to disrupt his presidency.
