Report: Trump Using Campaign Cash to Pay Russia Probe Legal Fees

President Trump is reportedly using money donated to his re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee to pay for his lawyers in the ongoing investigation of Russian meddling in the election. According to Reuters, the first of such payments has already been made and will be disclosed in public filings. “The U.S. Federal Election Commission allows the use of private campaign funds to pay legal bills arising from being a candidate or elected official,” Reuters reported. “While previous presidential campaigns have used these funds to pay for routine legal matters such as ballot access disputes and compliance requirements, Trump would be the first U.S. president in the modern campaign finance era to use such funds to cover the costs of responding to a criminal probe, said election law experts.”