Donald Trump has raised close to $ 75 million in an effort to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election and audit results, but a new report found that the money has instead gone to help pay for the former president’s personal expenses.
The spending has come under scrutiny amid a controversial election audit in Arizona and reports of other efforts in states that Trump lost in the 2020 election. Trump has continued to push false claims that the election was stolen from him.
PAC Funding Under Scrutiny
As the Washington Post reported this week, Trump’s Save America PAC has raised close to $ 75 million through the first six months of 2021 by continuing to push claims that he was robbed of a win. But the report noted that the PAC has not helped fund the ongoing vote audit.
"Instead, the Save America leadership PAC — which has few limits on how it can spend its money — has paid for some of the former president’s travel, legal costs and staff, along with other expenses, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the group’s inner workings," the report noted.
Trump Looking To 2024
The report claimed that Trump has told advisers to hold off on spending so that he can appear financially stronger ahead of a planned run for president again in 2024. The Washington Post cited Trump biographer and critic Tim O’Brien who said the PAC appeared to be a money-making scheme akin to the casinos he once owned.
“This is just as lucrative. He has recognized because of what happened after the election — he can make money as a candidate," he said.
Arizona Audit Lingers
While Trump has yet to jump into the fray in any post-election audits, an ongoing Republican-led effort in Arizona has stirred up some controversial claims of voter fraud. As USA Today reported, those leading the audit spread a misleading claim that there were more than 70,000 mysterious early votes that could not be accounted for.
"While the origin of the 74,243 figure is unclear, Maricopa County says the claimed disparity between ballots cast and ballots sent by mail has to do with how it counts early votes. It is not proof of widespread voter fraud, of which there is no evidence in Arizona," the report noted.
Trump Quiet On His Future
While a number of reports have suggested that Trump will run again in 2024, the former president himself has not given any official indications of what he plans for his political future. Trump has remained active in the Republican political sphere, speaking at some party events and continuing sharp attacks on Joe Biden and other Democrats. But Trump would likely face some tough competition for his party’s nomination, with many others including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis seen as potential frontrunners.
