Nikki Haley Accuses Trump of Plotting to Use RNC as a “Piggy Bank” for Rising Legal Costs

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley accused Donald Trump of plotting to use the Republican National Committee to bankroll his stratospheric legal costs, which jumped even higher Friday after a judge slapped the former president with a $355 million judgment in his New York civil fraud case.

“I don’t want the RNC to become his legal defense fund. I don’t want the RNC to become his piggy bank for his personal court cases,” Haley told CNN host Kaitlan Collins. “We’ve already seen him spend $50 million worth of campaign contributions towards his personal court cases.”

Haley’s comments came just hours after Judge Arthur Engoron handed down an eye-watering $355 million fine and banned him from serving as an officer or director of any New York-based company for three years, finding that Trump lied about and artificially inflated his wealth for years to secure favorable lending conditions for his businesses.

Before the ruling was even handed down, top RNC officials expressed worries that Trump is orchestrating a takeover of the committee to tap its coffers to pay for his rising legal costs, Politico reported on Wednesday. Haley repeated the charge on Friday, arguing the GOP frontrunner was angling to control the committee “so that he can continue not to pay his legal fees.”

In a move to solidify his control over the RNC, the former president endorsed Michael Whatley, the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party and a loyal supporter, to replace Ronna McDaniel, who has led the GOP since 2017.   

Slammed by the GOP frontrunner for her supposed lackluster fundraising efforts and the party’s recent election results, McDaniel is widely expected to step down after the South Carolina primary on February 24. 

Trump also endorsed his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, for the RNC co-chair position. Trump campaign senior advisor Chris LaCivita is expected to take over as chief operating officer.

In an interview with Newsmax last week, Lara Trump made waves by promising that “every single penny will go to the number one and the only job of the RNC. That is electing Donald J. Trump as president of the United States and saving this country.”

Trump’s legal bills have risen precipitously as his various criminal and civil cases continue to wind their way through state and federal courtrooms. 

Last year, two of his PACs spent a combined $55.6 million on legal costs—and that was before any of the former president’s criminal trials kicked into high gear. The spending has drained the cash reserves of Trump’s Save America leadership PAC, which went from boasting over $100 million in cash on hand at the beginning of 2022 to just $5.1 million at the end of last year.

But whether Trump will actually tap into the committee’s funds is an open question. The RNC has struggled mightily with fundraising as of late, with a recent Federal Election Commission filing showing the committee with just $8 million on hand. Haley admitted as much Friday, telling Collins that “the RNC is practically broke now as it is.” A committee member also told Politico that the RNC’s recent budget included no allocations for Trump’s legal fees. LaCivita himself called rumors about the committee eventually bankrolling legal costs “manufactured.”

And despite his strained resources, Trump still has the advantage of legions of supporters willing to chip in to fund his legal defense. On Friday, his fundraising website had already been updated to reflect the $355 million verdict. “Before the end of the day, I’m calling on ONE MILLION PRO-TRUMP Patriots to chip in and proudly say: END THE WITCH HUNT AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP!” the site read, asking for donations of $20.24 or $47 “if you think Donald J. Trump is the greatest president of all time.”