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Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Friday warned that former President Donald Trump will use the RNC to pay his mounting legal fees, should he win the 2024 GOP nomination.
In an interview on CNN, Haley mentioned she does not need Trump to use the Republican National Committee (RNC) — which solicits donations from GOP voters — as his personal “piggy bank.”
“My biggest issue is I don’t want the RNC to become his legal defense fund,” Haley advised CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. “I don’t want the RNC to become his piggy bank for his personal court cases. We’ve already seen him spend $50 million worth of campaign contributions toward his personal court cases.”
“Now we see him trying to get control of the RNC, so he can continue not to have to pay his own legal fees,” she added.
TRUMP BARRED FROM OPERATING BUSINESS, ORDERED TO PAY OVER $350 MILLION IN NY CIVIL FRAUD CASE
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump. (Getty Images)
Haley’s feedback got here after a New York choose ordered Trump to pay greater than $350 million within the civil fraud case introduced by state Attorney General Letitia James. Judge Arthur Engoron dominated that Trump and different defendants have been liable for “persistent and repeated fraud,” “falsifying business records,” “issuing false financial statements,” “conspiracy to falsify false financial statements,” “insurance fraud,” and “conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.”
The choose additionally barred Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump from serving as officers or administrators of any New York company or legal entity in New York for two years.
TRUMP VISITS MANHATTAN COURT TO BLAST NYAG CASE, PRAISES APPELLATE RULING IN HIS FAVOR
Former President Donald Trump introduced his endorsements for management positions within the Republican National Committee on Feb. 12, 2024. The former president endorsed Michael Whatley, left, to serve as the RNC’s subsequent chairman; Lara Trump to serve as vice chair; and Chris LaCivita to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of the RNC. (AP and Getty photographs)
Engoron’s ruling got here weeks after Trump was ordered to pay over $83 million in a defamation case introduced by author E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual assault.
The RNC beforehand acknowledged that it had been paying sure legal fees “that relate to politically motivated legal proceedings waged against President Trump,” in keeping with reporting from The Hill, together with investigations by then-Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
However, in 2022, the RNC mentioned it might not pay Trump’s legal payments as soon as he declared himself a candidate for the White House.
TRUMP ENDORSES NEW RNC CHAIR, ANNOUNCES DAUGHTER-IN-LAW’S RUN FOR VICE CHAIR
A courtroom sketch depicts lawyer Jesus Suarez questioning Eli Bartov as former president Donald Trump and Judge Arthur Engoron look on in Manhattan civil courtroom in New York on Thursday, December 7, 2023. (Jane Rosenberg)
Haley raised considerations that should Trump win the 2024 GOP nomination, he would commandeer the RNC and constant GOP donors to select up the tab for his civil judgments. Trump has already endorsed North Carolina GOP chair Michael Whatley to take over from present RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, together with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to probably serve as vice-chair.
“The problem is that doesn’t help us when any seats in the House, in the Senate or anything else if the RNC is all focused on his legal fees,” Haley mentioned on CNN.
“He’s made the co-chair his daughter-in-law. He’s made his campaign manager the director of operations. He’s trying to control the RNC after the fact that he tried to get me out of the race so that he could be the presumptive nominee. All of that is so that he has an arm to pay his legal fees,” she continued.
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“That’s the fear that every Republican should have, because we won’t win anything if he goes down that path.”
The Trump marketing campaign and RNC did not instantly reply to requests for remark.
Trump and Haley will face off within the South Carolina Republican main subsequent Saturday on Feb. 24, 2024.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee contributed to this report.
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