**Debate Club** Republican Party paying Donald Trump’s legal bills is more proof he owns the GOP

The Republican National Committee is footing the bill for lawyers that former President Donald Trump hired to defend him in investigations unrelated to his time as president.MSNBC / Getty Images

Members of the RNC executive committee overwhelmingly voted to foot the legal bills of a self-proclaimed billionaire whose company is being investigated for possible fraud.

The promised payments represent the continuation of the RNC’s strategy to be the party of Trump, nothing more and nothing less. In 2020, the GOP opted not to introduce a new party platform. Instead, its focus was to re-elect Trump. That desire to put Trump back in the Oval Office explains this decision, as well. Trump, of course, is not a candidate, yet. But that does not matter for this unconventional relationship.

So what is the solution to all this? One option is to add restrictions to the federal election laws. Federal law prohibits candidates from spending campaign money on personal expenses, including legal expenses such as these. Should the law also prohibit political parties from paying for the personal expenses of candidates, or even noncandidates, as Trump is now? This brings up plenty of legal and administrative hurdles. Let’s remember that the current Supreme Court is plenty hostile to campaign finance restrictions. Even if Congress could craft and pass the proper law, it is unlikely that the Supreme Court would let it stand.

Navy Vet

Article URL : https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/republican-party-paying-donald-trump-s-legal-bills-more-proof-n1286709?icid=msd_topgrid