Former President Donald Trump’s legal troubles could extend into his campaign finances, as reports suggest that his post-2020 election donation funds could be frozen. This could impact both Trump’s 2024 presidential run and his legal defense against federal indictments. The issue surfaced during ongoing investigations of Trump by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Who is questioning people in connection to the money raised by Trump’s Save America political action committee after he lost the 2020 presidential election.
If Trump’s fundraising finances become part of Smith’s federal investigation, it could lead to “pretrial forfeiture,” resulting in the money being frozen. Tens of millions of dollars given to Trump’s PAC were reportedly spent on his and other Trump-linked defendants’ legal fees this year. If other funds are available, then the government would have to prove that they were obtained by fraud. It is unclear exactly where frozen campaign and election donation funds go, but if federal authorities freeze the funds, Trump and his team won’t be able to access them.
Leftover money from PACs and similar funds can be transferred to other candidates’ races, political parties, PACs, charities, and even potential recounts. If candidates plan to run for office again, they can use leftover funds for another campaign. Northwestern law professor Michael Kang said that candidates are not supposed to use leftover campaign money for personal use, but it’s not always easy to determine what constitutes “personal use.”
