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Donald Trump could be taking a major risk amid reports that the former president is not paying the legal fees of the other co-conspirators indicted in the Georgia election interference case.
Jenna Ellis, a former attorney for Trump who is among those indicted under Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' expansive criminal inquiry, questioned why Trump's MAGA Inc. political action committee (PAC) is not funding her defense in the case.
Ellis' concerns arrived after it was previously suggested that she may be one of the defendants to flip on the former president as Georgia prosecutors attempt to whittle down the number of people who will face trial in the sprawling RICO election interference case. Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani is another co-defendant in the case whose legal fees are reportedly not being covered by the former president's PAC.
"I was reliably informed Trump isn't funding any of us who are indicted. Would this change if he becomes the nominee?" Ellis posted on X, formerly Twitter, in response to Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union calling for Republicans to "unify" behind Trump as the GOP presidential nominee so they can "use resources to fund the defenses" of those indicted alongside the former president.
"Why then, not now? I totally agree this has become a bigger principle than just one man. So why isn't MAGA, Inc. funding everyone's defense?" Ellis added.
MAGA, Inc. has been contacted for comment via email.
Michael Cohen, Trump's one-time lawyer who has since become a vocal critic of the former president, told CNN's The Source on Monday that Trump is taking a risk in not paying the legal fees for the other defendants in the Georgia case.
"There's never a reason for Donald that you can actually isolate and say, why is he paying for, we know for Don Jr. Right? Or for Kimberly [Guilfoyle], but we don't know as to why not for Jenna Ellis? Why not for Rudy Giuliani," Cohen said.
"Donald's an idiot. Let me just be very clear when it comes to paying money. He is truly an idiot," Cohen added. "He has not learned yet that three people you don't want to throw under the bus: your lawyer, your doctor and your mechanic, because one way or the other, you're going to go down the hill, and there'll be no brakes."
Cohen added that he "absolutely" believes that Trump is making a mistake by not paying for the legal fees of Giuliani in particular.
"At the end of the day, when your life is basically hanging on the line, once again, you just don't really want to throw another lawyer under the bus," Cohen said.
In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal tax crimes, lying to Congress and to campaign finance violations in relation to hush money payments paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal to keep alleged affairs between her and Trump a secret ahead of the 2016 election.
Cohen later testified against the former president in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office separate falsifying business records investigation over the "hush money" paid to Daniels, in which Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 charges.
Bill Palmer, who writes the left-wing blog Palmer Report, also suggested Trump is taking a risk amid previous unverified reports that Ellis is not having her legal fees covered because she began praising Trump's 2024 GOP primary rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
"Trump knows he needs to pay Jenna Ellis' legal fees so she won't flip on him. But he's reportedly refusing to do so, because she praised DeSantis," Palmer posted on X August 16.
"This is why Trump is such a lock for prison: he's willing to destroy himself just to spite those he blames for his downfall."
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, and Florida ... Read more