Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) reacted to the recent report of former President Donald Trump spending $40 million in campaign funds on legal fees.
“It is eye-popping, but it also shows, I think, by one powerful metric how much Donald Trump’s running for presidency is part of his strategy to keep out of jail,” Schiff said on Inside with Jen Psaki on Sunday. The Department of Justice issued new federal charges on Thursday regarding Trump’s alleged destruction of security footage at his Mar-a-Lago home in the case alleging he mishandled classified documents, bringing the total number of charges in the indictment to 40.
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“It is eye popping but it also shows, I think, by one powerful metric how much Donald Trump’s running for presidency is part of his strategy to keep out of jail.” @AdamSchiff on Trump PAC spending more than $40 million on legal costs this year. pic.twitter.com/wwxFYw9go6
— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) July 30, 2023
“This is all about the hope that he becomes the next office holder and he can make all these legal problems go away as the next president,” he continued. “He’s willing to spend whatever campaign contributions come his way to represent anyone that is deemed loyal to him.”
Since its launch in November 2020, after Trump’s election loss, through the second quarter of 2023, the Save America PAC has spent $56 million on legal costs.
In addition to the classified documents case, special counsel Jack Smith is investigating the former president over his handling of his 2020 election loss and is reported to be considering charges in that case.
According to Schiff, the large sum of money funding Trump’s legal fight goes toward getting “stories all aligned,” as well as to “coach” witnesses “to say they forgot things that they do remember.”
“It’s problematic from a … justice point of view, but I think this is what they’re trying to accomplish,” Schiff said.
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Meanwhile, Schiff’s Senate campaign reported $29,800,863 in cash on hand at the end of the second quarter from April 1 to June 30, per Federal Election Commission filings posted earlier in July. This was more than his two opponents, Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), as well as President Joe Biden, the Democratic National Committee, and Trump, raised, individually, in the same quarter.
Schiff is in a tight 2024 race for California’s open Senate seat as he campaigns to replace outgoing Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) following the announcement of her retirement.
