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Trump starts paying his own legal bills on Russia probe: attorneys

rooster59

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rooster59

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Trump starts paying his own legal bills on Russia probe: attorneys

By Karen Freifeld and Ginger Gibson

 

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about his recent trip to Asia in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has begun paying his own legal bills related to the Russia investigation and will no longer cover the costs using political donations to his reelection campaign or the Republican Party, his attorneys confirmed on Friday.

 

Trump defense lawyer John Dowd said that following payments by the Republican National Committee (RNC), the president began paying the bills and now wants to make the party "even."

 

The expenses cover personal lawyers representing Trump before special prosecutor Robert Mueller's probe of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in last year's election, and whether Trump may have obstructed justice by firing Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, among other actions.

 

    Moscow has denied meddling in the election, and Trump has denied any collusion or obstruction.

 

The RNC confirmed they are no longer paying Trump's legal bills have not done so since September.

 

The administration is also working with others to establish a fund for current and former staffers, Special White House counsel Ty Cobb said. Dowd said Don McGahn, the White House counsel, and campaign lawyer Ben Ginsberg of Jones Day are working to structure that fund, which would be subject to rules that prohibit staff from receiving gifts or pro bono legal service.

 

The president is exempt from those rules, Dowd said.

 

"The geniuses are working on it," Dowd said. “If it passes muster with the tax lawyers and accountants, then it has to pass muster with the Office of Government Ethics."

 

He added, "The president is worried about staffers who have good lawyers and they can’t afford them."

 

During former President Bill Clinton's administration, private funds were raised to cover his legal expenses related to the Whitewater investigation.

Under former President George W. Bush, a legal fund was set up to help former staffer Lewis "Scooter" Libby, only after he had left White House employment.

 

In August, Reuters first reported that the RNC was paying Trump's legal bills, which amounted to more than $230,000 that month.

 

The payments were made to Trump's outside legal team, which includes Dowd and Jay Sekulow.

 

Additionally, Trump's reelection campaign paid more than $300,000 this year in bills to lawyers representing his son Donald Trump Jr., according to public disclosures filed by the campaign. The campaign did not respond to a request for comment whether it will continue to pay for Trump Jr's legal expenses.

 

The U.S. Federal Election Commission allows use of private campaign funds to pay legal bills arising from being a candidate or elected official.

 

While previous presidential campaigns have used these funds to pay for routine legal matters such as ballot access disputes and compliance requirements, Trump was the first president in the modern campaign finance era to use such funds on the costs of responding to a criminal probe, said election law experts.

 

 
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-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-18
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Samui Bodoh Advanced Member

Samui Bodoh

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36 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

...and now wants to make the party "even."

Given Trump's long history of not paying the bills and screwing over the little guys who do work for him and his companies, who thinks he will actually repay the funds?

 

37 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Additionally, Trump's reelection campaign paid more than $300,000 this year in bills to lawyers representing his son Donald Trump Jr.,...

See above.

 

The guy says he is a multi-billionaire, but takes money from the proverbial little guy for his own uses. BTW, has he refunded the money that foreigners pay at his Washington hotel? No? What a surprise.

 

Using the Oval Office for making money. it is cheap and tawdry.

 

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selftaopath Gold Member

selftaopath

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I believe this is yet another issue. U.S. taxpayers however are paying 45's legal fees (don't know why) for his business profits. Yea read it and weep:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/11/15/taxpayers-pay-legal-bill-protect-trump-business-profits/848354001/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories

 

But as we (most of us know) this will not dissuade his defenders who care more a/b party issues - I won't elaborate - than the U.S. Constitution. 

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selftaopath Gold Member

selftaopath

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Posted (edited)
21 minutes ago, selftaopath said:

I believe this is yet another issue. U.S. taxpayers however are paying 45's legal fees (don't know why) for his business profits. Yea read it and weep:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/11/15/taxpayers-pay-legal-bill-protect-trump-business-profits/848354001/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories

 

But as we (most of us know) this will not dissuade his defenders who care more a/b party issues - I won't elaborate - than the U.S. Constitution. 

Oh forgot. All travel his family does for business costs U.S. taxpayers money. We pay for secret services e.g. hotel costs and laughably 45 rents golf carts to the Secret Service when they "protect" him on his own golf courses - to "protect" his family. 

 

This greedbag is the height of classless and has absolutely no scruples. Why isn't the Republicans bring things up? Are they just too tired after hounding Obama for 8 years? 

 

Experts have openly stated our country BECAUSE of Trump is in peril and our democracy is under threat.  Our founding fathers/mothers never realized a corrupt individual like Trump would hold the highest office in the country. They wrongly thought all Presidents would be patriots/honest/ and would put America first. They were so so wrong. And Americans are letting it happen.

family of robbers.jpg

Edited by selftaopath
Wanted to mention something else.
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boomerangutang Platinum Member

boomerangutang

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Trump is also using the Justice Dept (100% paid by taxpayer dollars) to cover as much of his legal fees as possible.  He's got lying imp Sessions in his back pocket.   Sessions, who recently couldn't say anything about whether it's proper for the prez to pre-pardon people - even before indictments.  

 

Actually, that's why Sessions, Trump Jr., Manafort, Flynn, both Kushners, and all the other nefarious crooks are dragging their feet:   they know Trump will pardon them.  They've all got their 'get out of jail free' cards.

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Srikcir Platinum Member

Srikcir

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On 11/18/2017 at 5:52 AM, rooster59 said:

The payments were made to Trump's outside legal team, which includes Dowd and Jay Sekulow.

In other words for Trump's personal benefit and not for his position as POTUS.

On 11/18/2017 at 5:52 AM, rooster59 said:

“If it passes muster with the tax lawyers and accountants,..."

In other words if "it" doesn't violate income tax laws. When a 3rd party pays for an individual's personal financial obligations (regardless of the form of relief), such value of benefit becomes taxable income. Same applies to Trump Jr.'s legal fees paid by the RNC.

On 11/18/2017 at 5:52 AM, rooster59 said:

the president began paying the bills and now wants to make the party "even."

To avoid possible taxable income Trump would need to repay the RNC before year-end; thereby treating RNC's payments as a recourse loan.

On 11/18/2017 at 5:52 AM, rooster59 said:

President Donald Trump has begun paying his own legal bills

Trump has created the same tax issues with White House Staff:

"The Office of Government Ethics and a tax firm are working on a mechanism for Trump to contribute to staffers’ legal bills that would meet regulatory and ethical standards"

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-17/trump-to-pay-his-own-legal-bills-set-up-fund-to-cover-staff

If staffers aren't careful on how they use the fund, they too may have reportable income tax. Unfortunately, they won't have the millions in deductions like Trump to offset such income. And if the IRS catches the unreported income, interest bearing penalties can eventually exceed the amount of the unreported income.

 

Even if the fund is structured as a loan, the loan must be recourse - terms must represent an obligation in an economic substance sense.  For example: not a loan term of 20 years with below industry annual interest payments with a balloon payment in year 20 without adequate current net worth; no enforceable nonpayment provisions; no ability to borrow from the lender funds to pay loan interest.

Edited by Srikcir
grammar clean up
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