Former U.S. President Donald Trump's political action committee, Save America, is facing financial strain as it is expected to report spending approximately $40 million on legal fees in the first half of 2023, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Washington Post reported that the PAC's spending on legal costs has drawn scrutiny from prosecutors regarding potential conflicts of interest between Trump and witnesses. In addition, The New York Times separately reported that the PAC has sought the return of $60 million it had contributed to another group supporting Trump's 2024 Republican presidential nomination campaign. Trump's campaign has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The Save America PAC, which Trump has been using to pay his legal bills, is expected to disclose approximately $40.2 million in legal spending in a filing on Monday, according to anonymous sources cited by the Washington Post. This substantial expenditure on legal fees is in addition to the $16 million that the PAC has spent on legal costs in the previous two years. The PAC's spending has increased due to Trump's expanding legal team and the legal fees incurred by his co-defendants in cases related to his retention of classified material. Overall, the PAC's total legal spending amounts to roughly $56 million.

The PAC's request for a refund on the $60 million contribution to another pro-Trump group indicates a potential money crisis for Trump. The New York Times reported that the staggering legal costs prompted the refund request, which was made due to the financial strain caused by the ongoing legal cases and investigations involving Trump and his associates. The exact amount refunded has not been disclosed.

The mounting legal costs come as Trump faces multiple legal troubles. He is currently under indictment in both Florida and New York. The indictment in Florida relates to the retention of sensitive government records at his home in the state, while the New York indictment stems from a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

The Save America PAC was initially formed as a fundraising arm for Trump after he lost the 2020 election. Trump claimed that the funds were needed to combat widespread fraud in the election, although no evidence of such fraud was found. Some of the funds were used to support other politicians and political activities in 2022, but the majority was allocated to paying legal fees. Trump has previously expressed the belief that lawyers and other individuals working for him should provide their services for free, as they benefit from the publicity associated with their association with him.

The increased allocation of funds to the PAC from Trump's campaign has drawn criticism from opponents, who argue that the money should be used to support his campaign rather than paying personal legal fees. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called the shift in funding allocation "disgraceful." However, the increased funds allocated to the PAC are still insufficient to cover the significant legal costs incurred by Trump and his associates.

A spokesperson for Trump's campaign, Steven Cheung, defended the spending on lawyers, accusing the Department of Justice of targeting innocent Americans who worked for Trump. Cheung characterized the legal actions against Trump and his allies as "heinous actions by Joe Biden's cronies" and emphasized that the PAC's contributions to legal fees were aimed at protecting innocent individuals from financial ruin.

The financial filing detailing the PAC's legal spending is expected to be made public on Monday. The PAC has not yet commented on the request for a refund or the overall legal costs incurred.