Donald Trump: Mississippi Republican National Committee Member Asks Party to Stop Paying Trump Legal Fees
A rift within the Republican National Committee (RNC) is emerging over the potential use of party funds to cover former President Donald Trump legal bills, Rolling Stone reports.
Henry Barbour, a Republican National Committee member from Mississippi, is sponsoring two draft resolutions aimed at restricting the party's involvement in Trump's legal defense.
These resolutions face a challenging path to approval and highlight the internal divisions within the committee.
Barbour's first resolution proposes a complete bar on the RNC paying "the legal bills of any of our candidates for any federal or state office."
The second resolution advocates for the party's neutrality throughout the Presidential primary, preventing the RNC from hiring additional staff from active presidential campaigns until a nominee is decided.
These resolutions are set to be discussed and voted on during the upcoming RNC meeting scheduled for March 7-9 in Houston.
The meeting holds significance as RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel is expected to resign, with Donald Trump-backed North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley likely to assume the role.
Lara Trump, Trump's daughter-in-law, is anticipated to become the party's vice chair.
However, Lara Trump has not definitively clarified whether party funds would be allocated for Trump's legal representation.
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Concerns Over Neutrality and Financial Resources
The proposed resolutions reflect concerns among some Republican National Committee (RNC) members about maintaining the committee's neutrality in the Republican primary, where candidates like Nikki Haley are still competing, according to The Dispatch.
There is a desire to ensure that party resources are not directed toward supporting Donald Trump's legal battles, which involve defending himself against indictments in four criminal cases.
The earlier proposal by RNC committeeman David Bossie, declaring Trump the presumptive nominee before earning the necessary delegates, faced opposition from Trump after going public.
Chris LaCivita, Trump's top campaign adviser, asserted that RNC funds would not cover Trump's legal expenses after he assumed the role of chief operating officer of the committee.
Primary Neutrality and Legal Fee Allocation
The neutrality proposal is particularly relevant to the ongoing primary, where Nikki Haley continues to run, and only four early states have held contests, per The New York Times.
While Trump has only secured a fraction of the necessary delegates, some committee members seek assurance that the RNC remains neutral.
The other resolution emphasizes that the Republican National Committee should focus its spending on political efforts associated with winning elections in 2024 and refrain from paying Trump legal bills for candidates running for federal or state offices.
The resolution aims to redirect financial resources toward election-related activities.
Despite acknowledging the slim chance of these resolutions passing, Barbour emphasizes the importance of sending a message, especially concerning Trump's efforts to assume control of the party before the primary concludes.
As the internal debate unfolds, the Republican National Committee faces challenges in reconciling the party's financial resources, maintaining neutrality in the primary, and addressing concerns about potentially covering Donald Trump's legal bills.
The outcome of the March meeting will shed light on the direction the Republican National Committee chooses to take amidst these internal tensions.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: RNC will stop paying Trump's legal bills if he announces 2024 bid l GMA - From ABC News
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