Defendants in Trump Georgia Case seek donations for legal costs.
The sprawling case against former President Donald Trump in Georgia has driven many of the defendants to ask for donations in order to cover legal fees. President Trump himself has dug deep into his campaign coffers to ensure his representation in this and other court cases he is facing.
While some of the 19 defendants have done quite well raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in a short time span, others seem to be struggling.
The case was brought on Aug. 14 by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. She alleged that President Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 elections, including through alternative slates of electors in several states, amounted to a criminal enterprise.
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Among the defendants are former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who also served as President Trump’s lawyer; Mark Meadows, former congressman and President Trump’s chief of staff; several lawyers that advised or aided President Trump, as well as several GOP alternative electors in the Georgia 2020 election.
At least nine of them have turned to the Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo to raise cash for legal fees.
Mr. Giuliani is among those who haven’t asked for donations, but he’s been rumored to be running low on cash, particularly after he put his Manhattan co-op on the market. President Trump is hosting a $100,000-a-head fundraiser for Mr. Giuliani at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club on Sept. 7.
Crowdfunding Ups and Downs
The most successful on the crowdfunding front has been John Eastman, former dean and professor at Chapman University’s law school. He’s raised over $520,000 since launching his campaign about two years ago.
Mr. Eastman served as a lawyer to President Trump in several 2020 election challenges. He devised a strategy of using alternative slates of electors in contested states in order to have the Vice President reject the official electors.
Harrison Floyd, former head of Black Voices for Trump, has been the surprise crowdfunding runner-up, raising nearly $300,000 in less than two weeks. The U.S. Marines veteran living off a disability pension surrendered himself at the notorious Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on Aug. 24, telling the judge he didn’t have money for a Georgia lawyer or bond. He was declared a flight risk and put in jail.
His case drew media attention, and as his fundraising campaign went online, donations poured in. By Aug. 26, he had a lawyer and a bond motion filed. He was out of jail by Aug. 30 and since then has been doing rounds on conservative talk shows, even considering a run for Congress.
Ray Smith, III, President Trump’s lead attorney during the 2020 election in Georgia, has raised around $150,000.
Other defendants haven’t had much success, though.
David Shafer, former head of Georgia GOP and one of the alternative electors, raised just over $20,000 online. He’s also trying to pull in some cash through monetizing his X account with over 60,000 followers.
Sidney Powell, former federal prosecutor who challenged the 2020 election on President Trump’s behalf though she wasn’t officially part of his legal team, has received less than $8,000 in donations from the online campaign.
Her PAC, Defending the Republic, finished the first half of 2023 with some $170,000 cash on hand, but it seems it hasn’t been involved in covering her legal fees.
Ms. Powell didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Legal Defense Fund
About a month ago, the Trump team set up the Patriot Legal Defense Fund that should cover legal expenses for current and former employees and aides of the former president. It’s not clear how much money the fund has raised so far. Its website offers merchandise emblazoned with President Trump’s mug shot—a hot commodity after his booking at the Atlanta jail on Aug. 24, according to some vendors.
It’s not clear if the fund will cover the expense.
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