Trump’s co-defendants in Georgia turn to crowdfunding sites and members of Congress as they struggle to pay legal bills

Allies and supporters of former President Donald Trump who were indicted in Georgia last month for their attempts to overturn the 2020 election result are scrambling to get ahead of their legal bills, turning to crowdfunding websites, funds of legal defense and even members of Congress.

Former Trump attorneys John Eastman and Jenna Ellis, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, and former Coffee County Republican Party Chairwoman Cathy Latham have launched fundraising campaigns on GiveSendGo since they were indicted on August 14 by a Fulton County grand jury.

Eastman, who urged former Vice President Mike Pence to decertify Joe Biden’s victory and alleged that 72,000 people had voted illegally in the Peach State, had raised $519,035 as of Friday afternoon, the most of any crowdfunding co-defendant. .

Ellis, who is now endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, had raised $189,382, while Clark raised $58,059 and Latham had raised $15,899.

Former New York City Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani has launched his own legal defense fund, for which the former president will host a $100,000-a-ticket event at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf resort next month. week.

Former President Donald Trump’s co-defendants who were indicted in Georgia for their attempts to subvert the 2020 election are struggling to pay legal bills and turning to crowdfunding websites, defense funds and members of Congress.
John EastmanFormer Trump lawyer John Eastman launched a legal defense fund on GiveSendGo since his August 14 indictment. FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/AFP via Getty Images

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) also the idea floated to create a fund to help pay the legal fees of former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, a former Republican member of Congress from North Carolina, but has not provided further information.

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Trump, 77, agreed to cover legal fees for aides, advisers and other employees related to separate congressional and federal investigations into his attempt to overturn the 2020 election and his hoarding of national security documents at his Mar-a resort. -Lake.

He has not committed to rescuing any of his co-defendants in Georgia and told Newsmax in a recent interview that he doesn’t know “a lot of these people” and that they “don’t have a lot of money.”

Trump's lawyer Jenna EllisTrump attorney Jenna Ellis, who is now endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the 2024 Republican nomination, has raised $189,382 for his legal defense. FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/AFP via Getty Images

Former first-born sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump launched the Patriot Legal Defense Fund in July to cover their father’s costs, some of which can be passed on to the other 18 co-defendants, according to a source who spoke to CNN, which first reported time. on the financial issues of the co-defendants.

However, Ellis posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she had been “reliably informed that Trump is not funding any of the defendants.”

Jeffrey Clark, former Justice Department officialFormer Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark has raised $58,059 for his legal defense.AP

Ellis was responding to a post by Conservative Political Action Committee Chairman Matt Schlapp, who urged Republican voters to unite around Trump’s nomination and pay his legal costs.

“I don’t think she’s at the top of Trump’s list anyway (to help with the bills),” a source close to Trump told CNN about Ellis.

Eastman, Ellis, Clark, Latham, Giuliani and Meadows were indicted last month along with Trump lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, who asked to separate their case from the former president in a quick trial.

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Cathy Latham, former chairwoman of the Coffee County Republican PartyFormer Coffee County Republican Party Chairwoman Cathy Latham received $15,899 for her own legal defense. FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/AFP via Getty Images

On Thursday, Trump’s legal team also requested separate proceedings, citing time constraints to provide an adequate defense if their client goes to trial with Chesebro and Powell in late October.

Trump attorney Ray Smith, 2020 campaign aide Mike Roman, former Kanye West publicist Trevian Kutti, Illinois pastor Stephen Lee, Georgia attorney Robert Cheeley, bail bondsman Scott Hall, former GOP chairman Georgia State Senator David Shafer and Georgia State Senator Shawn Still were also charged.

Former Black Voices for Trump executive director Harrison Floyd served a few days in the Fulton County jail after also being indicted on the charges, but he has since gotten a lawyer and was released Wednesday on $100,000 bail, according to the registers.

Fulton County CourthouseThe 19 co-defendants were booked in Fulton County after the 41-count indictment was unsealed in court last month.GNMiller/NYPost

In all, the 19 defendants face a total of 41 charges, including extortion, conspiracy, making false statements and asking a public official to violate their oath of office.

The former president was booked and released on $200,000 bail on Aug. 24 after Fulton County authorities took his mugshot.

Trump subsequently raised funds from the image and posted for the first time on his old Twitter handle since he was banned from the platform two days after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

donald trumpThe former president has spent more than $40 million in legal fees after being indicted in three cases, two federal and one municipal, earlier this year.

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Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to all charges, waiving the right to an in-person arraignment that had been scheduled for Sept. 6.

The former president’s Save America Political Action Committee shelled out more than $21 million in legal fees during the first six months of this year, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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