Donald Trump gains $70 personal million war chest after raising $175 million for Republicans with 'stolen election' claims and spending just $10 million on legal fees

  • Former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party raised $175 million in November and December as he lied about the 'stolen election' 
  • Just $10 million of those funds were spent on legal fees challenging the result, The New York Times responded 
  • The Republican National Committee brought in 25 cents for every dollar Trump raised online, ending the year with more than $80 million in the bank 

Former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party raised $175 million in November and December as he lied about the 'stolen election,' but just $10 million was spent on legal fees challenging the result. 

The New York Times first reported the totals looking at Federal Election Commission data from November 4 through the end of 2020.

The Republican National Committee brought in 25 cents for every dollar Trump raised online, ending the year with more than $80 million in the bank. 

Former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party raised $175 million in November and December while he was publicly claiming the election was 'stolen' from him, but spent only $10 million on legal fees to challenge the result

Former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party raised $175 million in November and December while he was publicly claiming the election was 'stolen' from him, but spent only $10 million on legal fees to challenge the result

The Republican National Committee, chaired by Ronna Romney McDaniel (pictured), brought in 25 cents for every dollar Trump raised online, ending the year with more than $80 million in the bank

The Republican National Committee, chaired by Ronna Romney McDaniel (pictured), brought in 25 cents for every dollar Trump raised online, ending the year with more than $80 million in the bank

President Donald Trump sent out fundraising pleas for weeks after the election was called for President Joe Biden asking supporters to chip in to help his legal defense, but the New York Times reported just $10 million of $175 million raised went toward lawyers

President Donald Trump sent out fundraising pleas for weeks after the election was called for President Joe Biden asking supporters to chip in to help his legal defense, but the New York Times reported just $10 million of $175 million raised went toward lawyers 

A leadership political action committee Trump formed just days after the networks had called the presidential election for President Joe Biden has $31 million in the bank.

An additional $63 million is sitting in two accounts that are shared by the ex-president and the party. 

Trump's PAC is entitled to 75 per cent of that money, overall giving it about a $70 million war chest, the paper reported.  

Most of the money was made through small donations and online.  

During the period Trump lost the election, but refused to concede, his campaign arm was sending out fundraising texts or emails nearly every single day. 

Trump's team was spending five times as much on advertising and fundraising during this period than on legal bills, suggesting that the president's 'stolen election' claims were a PR-moneymaking blitz over a serious legal might. 

Legal payouts included $1.6 million to Kasowitz Benson Torres, more than $500,000 to Jones Day, about $600,000 to Dechert LLP and more than $480,000 to the law firm of Kurt Hilbert, according to The Times. 

Hilbert was on the call with Trump and Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger when the then-president pressured the election official to 'find' enough votes to overturn the results. 

Biden flipped Georgia blue in the 2020 cycle. 

Trump's fundraising effort from November 24 through the end of the year also outpaced the money raised by Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who needed to defeat Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, respectively, in the January 6 run-off race for the GOP to retain control of the Senate. 

Trump raised $80 million online, funneling a portion of that money to the RNC. 

Loeffler and Perdue combined raised around $75 million.  

Loeffler and Perdue both lost their races. 

One name not found in any payout filings was that of Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney and the individual charged with leading the legal fight to overturn the election.       

His firm did receive $63,423 in travel expenses in mid-December, The Times found. 

Giuliani admitted that an associate had asked Trump campaign officials to pay the former New York City mayor $20,000 a day for his help, but Giuliani has also said recently - which corresponds to the financial documents - that he hasn't been paid.

'I haven't made a penny on it,' Giuliani said during a radio appearance Sunday. 

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