Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called out former President Donald Trump over reports that he’s diverting money raised in his 2024 presidential campaign to cover fees for legal defenses as he prepares for multiple criminal trials.
“Grifting is a Trump family tradition, and the latest scam is his campaign,” Christie tweeted Friday afternoon, linking a report from the Washington Post.
SOCIAL SECURITY UPDATE: DIRECT PAYMENT WORTH UP TO $4,555 GOES OUT TO MILLIONS IN FIVE DAYS
“This self-proclaimed billionaire is swindling 50% of his campaign donations to pay for his personal legal fees,” Christie said. “We don’t need a con-artist, we need a leader who can beat Biden.”
Grifting is a Trump family tradition, and the latest scam is his campaign.
This self-proclaimed billionaire is swindling 50% of his campaign donations to pay for his personal legal fees.
We don’t need a con-artist, we need a leader who can beat Biden.https://t.co/6in34uc12I
— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) July 21, 2023
Christie jumped into the 2024 GOP presidential race in June, challenging Trump, the current Republican front-runner he previously supported and advised.
Trump is currently the subject of three major investigations relating to the election, the Jan. 6 riot, and his handling of classified documents.
Christie’s comments come amid Trump reportedly putting over half the funds raised for his 2024 presidential campaign into a political action committee to cover his personal legal fees as he faces numerous criminal investigations. Trump raised over $35 million between March and June, and the presidential campaign received $17.7 million of those funds while the rest went to his PAC Save America, which has been used in the past to cover legal bills, the Washington Post reported Friday.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Trump adjusted the percentage of donations that were issued to Save America this year, sending 90% of donations to the presidential campaign and 10% to Save America, according to the New York Times. Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesman, told the Washington Examiner last month that “the campaign wants to ensure every dollar donated to President Trump is spent in the most cost-effective manner.”
Trump spent millions from donors to cover his team’s legal fees from the Save America PAC, one of the top Republican fundraising organizations. Filings show $16 million from the Save America PAC was used for legal-related payments in 2021 and 2022.
