The former president began diverting a larger share of his political donations to his Save America PAC in February or March, The New York Times reports it Sunday and may have already redirected at least $1.5 million.
« This is a billionaire who has refused to pay his lawyers out of his own money, and instead, men and women out there who believe in him and want [him] to get elected president they are donating money to try to forward his candidacy … and he is diverting that money to pay his own legal fees,” Christie said.
« He should make an effort today to instruct his campaign not to spend more public money on his legal fees, » Christie added. “He IS the richest candidate in this race, yet he is using public money to pay legal fees. He should be ashamed of himself ”.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Christie’s criticisms.
Save America previously paid $3 million to cover the legal work of attorney Chris Kise representing the former president, and paid legal fees for some key witnesses in the investigation into Trump’s possible mishandling of confidential documents, a case in which he was recently charged with 37 federal felonies.
The former president is also facing an indictment in New York, and his legal troubles — and related costs — could continue to mount this summer as he awaits the results of the investigation into his role in the January 6 riots and possible interference constituency in Georgia.
Christie has attempted to carve a lane in the presidential race as the former president’s main – and often sole – antagonist. While other candidates have largely avoided hitting the current leader head-on, Christie, a onetime Trump ally, has hit him at every turn.
It’s a strategy that hasn’t resonated with the Republican grassroots area that still idolizes Trump, and one that recently got the former governor booing at last week’s annual Faith & Freedom conference, where Trumpism reigns supreme.
But Christie’s is gaining momentum in New Hampshire, where she has focused her campaign efforts. A Sant’Anselmo survey on Tuesday he had 6 percent of New Hampshire’s Republican primary voters vote him, placing him third.
But he still lags far behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 19% and Trump’s 47%.
“June of the year before the election is not a time where people should figure out who they think is going to win and who they think is going to lose,” Christie said. « No campaign has started in earnest yet. »
