We can officially change the Democratic National Committee’s name to Biden’s Bill Bailout Squad. It turns out they’ve been funneling funds to cover Joe’s legal tab amid special counsel Robert Hur’s probe into his classified materials fiasco. Yes, folks, the DNC’s latest gig is part legal defense fund and part political supporter. Who knew?
Axios got the scoop—not from just one but “two people familiar with the matter.” They also did a little dive into those always-revealing campaign finance records. It turns out that the DNC contributed heavily to covering Biden’s legal costs.
Special Counsel Robert Hur was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in January of the previous year, prompted by revelations that classified materials were discovered by one of Biden’s attorneys during the clearance of Biden’s former private office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington. Hur’s investigation lasted over a year, culminating in findings that suggested President Biden had knowingly retained and disclosed classified materials after his tenure as vice president when he was a private citizen.
The Biden campaign disclosed payments made to Bob Bauer, his attorney, and the law firm Hemenway & Barnes in regular campaign finance reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission. The DNC’s financial support reportedly exceeded $1.5 million, with a significant portion directed toward the president’s legal representatives. Notably, Bob Bauer PLLC, the firm headed by Biden’s chief attorney, received $1.05 million from these funds. Additionally, there were notable increases in payments to the law firm Hemenway & Barnes.
According to sources, the Democratic National Committee’s legal account primarily funded Biden’s legal team. This account is backed by donors who have met federal contribution limits for the party’s political activities.
Revelations that the DNC financially supported Biden’s legal defense raise concerns about the consequences and perception of such a decision. Critics point to the contrast with the Biden campaign’s previous criticisms of former President Donald Trump’s use of campaign contributions to cover his legal expenses from various criminal indictments. This move has left the GOP in a cash-strapped position and unable to allocate adequate resources to critical battleground states, which could significantly impact their chances of emerging victorious in those regions.
Former President Trump faces multiple legal challenges, including federal indictments from special counsel Jack Smith and charges brought forth by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump claims that this is the first political prosecution in the history of our nation.
The irony is that for several months now, President Joe Biden’s aides and advisors have been highly critical of the Republican Party’s decision to spend a significant amount of its campaign funds on the legal issues that arose during former President Donald Trump’s tenure.
One vocal critic was Rufus Gifford, who chairs Biden’s campaign finance committee. Gifford said, “We are not spending money on legal bills or hawking gold sneakers.”
Under campaign finance law, party funds can be used to cover legal bills, including those of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. In this case, we are seeing yet another instance of hypocrisy as the DNC’s substantial financial backing for Biden’s legal defense has been revealed.
The Republican National Committee sent out a tweet on X: “If these corrupt Democrats didn’t have HYPOCRISY, they’d have NOTHING!”
Of course, this isn’t the only irony. Hur’s decision not to pursue charges against Biden for willfully retaining documents still remains a point of contention within the GOP. Biden, who is only a few years older than Trump, is too old to be prosecuted, but it’s okay to charge Trump.
