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July 3, 2025

FEC Republicans block 29 investigations into $100 million in campaign finance violations

PBS News
CNBC
Brennan Center for Justice
Common Dreams
Colin Kalmbacher
+9

Trump accumulates $100+ million in legal expenses through potentially illegal schemes.

Donald Trump has incurred over $100 million in legal expenses since 2021, funded primarily through political committees rather than personal funds.

Republican commissioners at the Federal Election Commission have blocked all 29 staff recommendations to investigate the Trump campaign’s finance activities.

About $7.2 million in legal payments were concealed through intermediaries like Red Curve Solutions, violating transparency requirements.

Federal election law prohibits using campaign funds for personal legal expenses unrelated to campaign activities.

A New York civil fraud case resulted in a $363.8 million judgment plus interest against Trump, and E. Jean Carroll cases added over $101 million in liability.

Regulatory capture occurs when those under investigation control the agencies meant to oversee them; Trump’s control of the Justice Department, SEC, and Treasury illustrates this risk.

There is a documented correlation between Trump’s mounting legal expenses and the timing of his new business ventures, suggesting financial pressure drives those launches.

📜Constitutional Law🗳️Elections⚖️Justice

People, bills, and sources

Donald Trump (former President and 2024 presidential candidate)

Actor

What you can do

1

Review FEC reports on FEC.gov to see how political committees report expenditures and to identify potential campaign finance violations.

2

Contact your members of Congress to urge stronger enforcement of campaign finance laws and to support safeguards against regulatory capture.

3

Monitor bills and oversight hearings related to campaign finance and agency independence on Congress.gov as they move through committee and floor votes.

4

Support and follow watchdog groups—such as the Campaign Legal Center (campaignlegal.org) and Common Cause (commoncause.org)—that work to strengthen transparency and accountability in elections.

5

Learn about separation of powers and independent oversight via resources like the Brennan Center for Justice (brennancenter.org) to understand why institutional checks are essential to democracy.