Fundraising for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump slowed in the last three months of 2023, and his legal fees appear to be impacting the financial resources of his campaign, according to new disclosures submitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Trump's campaign reported raising $19 million during the last three months of 2023, down from less than $25 million in the third quarter, lagging behind the $33 million reported by Democrat Joe Biden, who announced his intention to run for a second term.

Trump's campaign ended last year with about $33 million in the bank, compared to about $46 million for Biden's campaign.

The largest political action committee supporting the former president, known as MAGA Inc, sent $30 million during the second half of the year to a separate Trump group called Save America, which was paying the former leader’s legal bills. That was more than twice the amount it sent in the first half of 2023.

Trump was charged with 91 criminal counts across four separate criminal indictments between March and August of last year.

The $30 million transfer also represents a large portion of the $48 million raised by MAGA Inc in the second half of the year, meaning less money for MAGA Inc to spend on supporting Trump's campaign efforts.

Legal spending for Save America accelerated in the second half of 2023, when it reported spending more than $25 million on legal expenses, according to an analysis by Reuters of its latest filings. In the first half of the year, the committee reported spending around $22 million on legal matters.

Trump's online donors are told that 10% of their contributions will go to the Save America organization, according to multiple reports from U.S. media outlets.

Legal spending for Save America accelerated in the second half of 2023, when it reported spending more than $25 million on legal expenses, according to an analysis by Reuters of its latest filings. In the first half of the year, the committee reported spending around $22 million on legal matters.

Trump's online donors are told that 10% of their contributions will go to the Save America organization, according to multiple reports from U.S. media outlets.

American politicians traditionally enjoy broad leeway in spending money raised through lead political action committees such as Save America. Although U.S. law prohibits candidates from using campaign funds for personal expenses, the Federal Election Commission, which enforces campaign finance law, has not clarified whether the prohibition applies to lead political action committees.

Generally, politicians cannot spend campaign money on legal expenses unless they are related to the campaign, but many of the investigations involving Trump relate to his conduct as president and as a political candidate.

Resolving these issues could take years. Trump appointed all six Republican commissioners on the 12-member Federal Election Commission during his presidency.

Major donors say Trump is being treated unfairly

Hotel owner Robert Bigelow told Reuters on Tuesday that he gave Trump $1 million for his legal fees and agreed to donate another $20 million to an outside pro-Trump group for campaign purposes.

The Nevada-based owner of Budget Suites of America said in an interview: "I gave him a million dollars to cover his legal fees a few weeks ago. And I promised him another $20 million, which will be for the benefit of the major political action committee."

Bigelow said he felt Trump was unfairly targeted in criminal cases and that his sympathy for the former president was the motivation behind the donation.

Trump was last week ordered to pay $83 million in a civil defamation case filed by writer E. Jean Carroll, and a judge is expected to rule soon on the New York Attorney General’s request for $370 million in penalties due to his bank fraud related to his bankruptcy. Net worth is the case in which fraud was already found on one major count.

While these rulings will be appealed, Trump has also seen a change in his legal representation. Lawyer Joseph Tacopina said last month he is withdrawing from representing Trump in two of the former president’s ongoing legal battles.

On March 25, he faces a trial date in New York over charges of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments regarding alleged extramarital affairs he did not want disclosed to the public during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Potential presidential immunity for Trump does not apply to the trial scheduled for May 20 over allegations that he unlawfully retained government documents after leaving office in early 2021. However, the pace of previous court rulings has raised questions about whether this start date will be met.

Trump also faces a 13-count indictment detailing alleged acts he took to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. A trial date has not yet been set for this case.