Trump PAC Funds Legal Representation for Indicted Adviser Boris Epshteyn
In a recent disclosure, campaign finance records reveal that Donald Trump's political action committee, Save America, has financially supported the legal defense of Boris Epshteyn, a key adviser to the former president, amid his ongoing criminal trial in Arizona. The PAC made substantial payments to Tully Bailey LLP, the Phoenix-based law firm representing Epshteyn.
On May 14, Save America disbursed $40,000 and $10,000 to Tully Bailey LLP. Michael Bailey, a named partner at the firm and former U.S. attorney for Arizona, has been Epshteyn’s legal representative in the Arizona case since at least May 9. Epshteyn faces charges related to an alleged fake elector scheme intended to submit Trump electors in place of those for President Joe Biden following the 2020 election. Epshteyn has entered a not guilty plea.
Michael Bailey, who also served as U.S. attorney for Arizona from 2019 to 2021, represented Epshteyn at his arraignment on June 18. This arraignment was delayed with court permission and prosecutor consent due to Bailey's obligations to another client.
These payments mark the first recorded financial support from Save America to Tully Bailey LLP. Notably, no other co-defendants linked to Trump in Arizona or Georgia have received direct financial support from the PAC for their legal expenses since last year. Epshteyn’s role extends beyond his legal troubles; he remains active on Trump's campaign trail and coordinates legal teams managing Trump's various legal challenges, including the New York hush money case and the defunct House Jan. 6 committee investigation.
Save America, established by Trump in November 2020, and Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign have collectively spent over $90.6 million on legal expenses, with Save America alone accounting for nearly $83 million of this total. The PAC has also funded legal consulting for Trump’s co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira in the Mar-a-Lago documents case in Florida. However, it has not extended similar financial assistance to other defendants in Arizona or Georgia. The election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, led by District Attorney Fani Willis, remains largely stalled pending an appeal regarding her involvement.
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, and representatives from Save America did not respond to requests for comments on whether the PAC has supported other co-defendants' legal expenses in Georgia or Arizona. In contrast, Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa criticized Trump’s actions, asserting that Trump "will stop at nothing to maintain his grip on power."
In December 2022, Save America paid nearly $900,000 to McGuireWoods LLP, which has represented former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Additionally, in response to the Jan. 6 congressional investigation, Save America paid approximately $175,000 to attorney Stanley Woodward's firm. Woodward has represented numerous Trump aides, including Nauta, Will Russell, and Dan Scavino, and continues to represent Nauta in the Mar-a-Lago documents case.
A correction issued on July 2, 2024, clarified that Save America continued making disbursements to law firms representing Trump’s co-defendants in Florida beyond the end of 2023, contrary to a previous version of the article.
