Donald Trump Once Hosted an 'Intimate' Dinner at Mar-A-Lago With Sons as a Fundraisor for Legal Expenses

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

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 co-defendants in four criminal cases. The fundraiser, which has not yet been given a date or time, could bring in $500,000 to $1 million for the Patriot Legal Defense Fund, according to two sources familiar with the planning. It is 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, 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 claims that Smith and other prosecutors who have charged Trump are 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.”

Trump has raised almost $10 million of the racketeering charges against him and 18 co-defendants in Fulton County, Georgia, and 90% of every dollar he gets goes to his campaign and 10% to Save America. The former president will also attend a charity event for former campaign lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Thursday at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club.

The event's organizers hope to raise $1 million for Trump's co-defendants at Mar-a-Lago, which may also include 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 are frequent and might 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.”