Trump Begins Paying Own Legal Fees, Plans To Help Aides: Lawyer

WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump has started paying for his own legal fees related to the investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, and he plans to to pay the fees of his staffers who may need legal protection, Trump’s lawyer announced Friday.

“[The] president is paying his own legal fees, as was always his preference. He does not want to deplete any funds that may be available to assist current and former staffers,” White House Special Counsel Ty Cobb said in a statement. “The administration and others are working with the Office of Government Ethics and tax specialists to create a lawful mechanism for payment or fees for staffers. It is expected to be operational shortly.”

The Republican National Committee was previously footing the bill for Trump’s legal fees.

The news that Trump has started paying his own fees was first reported by Bloomberg, but The Associated Press reported in October that Trump planned to pay for his staffers’ fees.

In October, Trump planned to spend at least $430,000 on legal fees for his staff, according to the report.

The AP also noted that the commitment to pay for legal fees raises a substantial ethical question, including whether it could be construed as a move by Trump to secure more favorable testimony from his staffers.

"Whenever an individual who is the focus of an investigation, as President Trump is the focus of this investigation, offers anything of value to witnesses who may be able to affect the course of the investigation, that raises very serious questions on a variety of legal authorities," Norman Eisen, an ethics lawyer in the Obama administration, told the AP.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Susan Walsh