The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been paying President Joe Biden’s legal fees incurred in connection with the investigation by special counsel Robert Hur into Biden’s handling of classified documents. This has been a point of contention, with the Republican National Committee (RNC) criticizing the DNC for using party funds to cover Biden’s personal legal expenses.
According to sources and disclosures of expenditures filed by the DNC, the party committee has paid the law firm of Bob Bauer, the lead attorney representing Biden in Hur’s investigation, more than $1 million since last year – roughly $150,000 per month from July 2023 through February 2024.
The DNC has also paid approximately $905,000 to Hemenway & Barnes LLP, the law firm of Jennifer Miller, who is named as one of the attorneys representing Biden in the special counsel probe. However, Hemenway & Barnes LLP has long represented the DNC, so it’s unclear how much of that payment was specifically for Biden’s legal fees.
In contrast, the RNC has faced criticism from the Democrats for paying the legal fees of former President Donald Trump. The RNC has spent millions of dollars on Trump’s personal legal defense, including fees related to investigations into the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.
Democrats have argued that it is inappropriate for the RNC, which is meant to represent the broader Republican Party, to be using party funds to cover the legal expenses of a single individual, especially one who is no longer in office. They have accused the RNC of prioritizing the defense of Trump over the needs of the party as a whole.
In contrast, the DNC has argued that it is appropriate for the party to support the legal defense of the sitting president, as the president’s legal issues could have broader implications for the party and the office of the presidency. However, the DNC’s spending on Biden’s legal fees has still drawn criticism from Republicans, who have accused the party of using donor funds to shield the president from the consequences of his actions.
Overall, the differing approaches of the DNC and RNC to covering the legal expenses of their party’s leaders have become a point of political contention, with both sides accusing the other of prioritizing individual interests over the broader interests of their respective parties and the American people.
