Trump campaign spent $1M in legal fees in last quarter

FILE: The Trump campaign spent $1.1 million in legal fees in the last quarter, including more than $230,000 to a law firm representing Donald Trump Jr.

President Trump’s campaign spent $1.1 million over the last three months in legal fees as the investigation into alleged ties between campaign officials and Russia continues, The Hill reported.

The campaign spent $802,185 to the law firm Jones Day and spent an additional $234,924 to the law firm representing Donald Trump Jr., the report said, citing Federal Election Commission filings.

The Republican National Committee disclosed last month payments to two attorneys, John Dowd and Jay Sekulow, who are representing the president.

Under federal election law, the RNC can raise money from donors in amounts up to $101,700 for a special account earmarked for paying legal expenses, including costs tied to recount fights, investigations and other matters.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees, including the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, are examining the impact Russia had on the election, and whether Trump campaign officials colluded with them.

Overall, Trump's campaign and two joint fundraising committees that split receipts with the campaign and Republican party committees raised $11.7 million in the third quarter, according to FEC disclosures. It's unusual for a sitting president to raise money for re-election as aggressively as Trump has during the first year in office.

Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee that courts big donors, disclosed nine contributors who gave more than $50,000 — including billionaire Ronald Perelman, Madison Square Garden Company Chief Executive Officer James Dolan, and real estate developers Richard and James LeFrak — after Sept. 20, when the party said it was using money from the legal account to pay law firms involved in the Russian investigation.

It isn't yet clear whether those donations went to the legal fund or other party accounts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report