Biden utilized campaign donations to assist in covering his legal expenses during special counsel Hur’s investigation into his handling of classified documents last year, according to an Axios review of campaign finance records and two sources familiar with the matter.
These payments, facilitated through the Democratic National Committee, are hypocritical to the Biden campaign's recent criticisms of President Trump's use of campaign funds to cover legal expenses.
Between July 2023 and February 2024, the DNC reportedly allocated $1.05 million to Bob Bauer PLLC, the professional limited liability company associated with Biden's lead attorney, Bob Bauer.
The majority of those payments were designated for managing the special counsel probe, which included the hiring of experienced attorney David Laufman. Laufman, a former DOJ official, has previously overseen high-profile investigations, such as those concerning Hillary Clinton's email server and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The DNC is responsible for collecting the largest donations for Biden's re-election campaign, and reportedly disbursed over $1.5 million to legal representatives or firms representing Biden throughout the course of the special counsel probe.
Beginning in July 2023, the Democratic National Committee escalated its monthly payments to the law firm Hemenway & Barnes from $15,000 to $100,000. Special Counsel Hur's conclusive report, issued in February, pinpointed Jennifer Miller, a member of the Hemenway & Barnes team, as one of Biden's attorneys.
Despite this, the Biden team has intensified its criticism of Trump's use of campaign donations to supposedly finance his numerous legal battles. Just last weekend, the Biden campaign's finance chair emphasized on MSNBC that every contribution to his campaign directly supports voter outreach efforts, contrasting with expenditures on legal fees or extravagant items like “gold sneakers,” a nod to Trump's spending habits.
Trump's campaign has informed members of the Republican National Committee that funds from the committee will not be allocated towards legal fees.
