Trump Once Hosted an 'Intimate' Dinner at Mar-A-Lago With Sons to Raise Funds for Legal Battle

Back in 2023, at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump and his two adult sons hosted a candlelight dinner to collect money to cover the legal costs of his four criminal cases. The fundraiser was expected to have brought in $500,000 to $1 million for the Patriot Legal Defense Fund, according to two sources familiar with the planning. It was intended to work in tandem with the Save America PAC, which is primarily covering Trump's legal expenses, Raw Story reports.

“Save America wasn’t really designed as a legal defense fund, so as the legal landscape evolved, so did this effort,” said one Trump official familiar with the planning to The Messenger. “The fact is that the Department of Justice is trying to bankrupt people and make them drown under legal bills, but Donald Trump is not going to let them.”

The Patriot Legal Defense Fund was established in July 2023, shortly after Trump revealed he was a 'target' of special counsel Jack Smith's Jan. 6 investigation. Save America had paid at least $22 million to cover legal expenses for the former president and his employees, former employees, and others caught up in the various criminal investigations into his presidency and businesses, according to the most recent filings with the Federal Elections Commission.

“Just responding to a subpoena can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Being a criminal defendant costs hundreds of thousands,” said conservative attorney Mike Davis, who claimed that Smith and other prosecutors who charged Trump were all Democrats. “That’s the point of this Democrat lawfare. They’re making the process the punishment. They don’t care if the Supreme Court ultimately rejects their bogus legal theories. The goal is to take out Trump and punish his supporters before Nov. 5, 2024.”

At the time, Trump had raised almost $10 million for the racketeering charges against him and 18 co-defendants in Fulton County, Georgia, and 90% of every dollar he got went to his campaign and 10% to Save America. The former president also attended a charity event for former campaign lawyer Rudy Giuliani at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club.

The event's organizers hoped to raise $1 million for Trump's co-defendants at Mar-a-Lago, which might have also included a reception for about 20 guests before the dinner. "It's a family-style dinner, very intimate and exclusive," said one Trump official.

Trump opponent Mitch Epner, however, asserted that it is incorrect to believe that the legal system is treating Trump differently. He claimed that concerns about the cost of legal representation were frequent and could have serious repercussions for Trump. “The cost of defense is almost always a major aspect of trying to decide how to proceed when the government comes knocking,” he said. “And one of the reasons to cooperate even if you think you've done nothing wrong, is that it may cost you a fortune to fight off the government. So if the government is willing to give you a non-prosecution agreement in return for cooperation, that can be a very, very enticing prospect.”

Editor's note: This article was originally published on September 8, 2023. It has since been updated.