Social Justice Litigation Firm Files Complaint With FEC Alleging Trump Campaign Hid Legal Fees

The legal nonprofit Campaign for Legal Center (CLC) alleged in the complaint that between December 2022 and March 2024, five political committees linked to the Trump campaign paid out $7.2 million to Massachusetts-based Red Curve Solutions, LLC., designated for reimbursing legal fees.

Bradley Crate, identified as the manager of Red Curve, also serves as the treasurer for each of the five committees, according to CLC.

Red Curve defines itself on its website as a nonprofit accountability firm established to ensure that political organizations, Political Action Committees, and state parties adhere to compliance amidst “the ever-evolving landscape of political fundraising and advocacy.”

Per the CLC’s complaint, the disbursements indicate that Red Curve regularly fronted money for President Trump’s legal fees, funds that were “supplied by other vendors, for which Red Curve was reimbursed by the committees.”

‘Apparent Payment Scheme’

“This apparent payment scheme, however, violates the reporting requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act (‘FECA’), which mandates that committees provide detailed information about who they are paying for services, and how much they are paying for those services,” the complaint stated.

The Trump campaign committees cited include Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc.; Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee; Save America; Trump Make America Great Again Committee; and Make America Great Again PAC.

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“When federal candidates and committees spend money to influence elections, they must disclose that spending in publicly filed reports, which provides transparency for voters deciding who to vote for and ensures accountability if donors’ funds are misused,” CLC stated in a press release. “Federal campaign finance laws mandate candidates and committees to publicly disclose not only the total amount spent, but who is being paid for campaign services and how much they are being paid.”

Nevertheless, despite these regulations, the Trump campaign committees “appear to have breached these federal reporting requirements,” according to CLC, by making “108 disbursements totaling over $7.2 million” to Red Curve.

“On the surface, the Trump committees’ reports indicate that Red Curve is not being compensated for legal services, but rather reimbursed for legal services—implying that Red Curve paid or advanced money to the attorneys who provided those services,” CLC explained. “As a result of this arrangement, the committees are not disclosing the lawyers and law firms offering legal services—or how much they are being paid—which is what the law mandates.”

“Due to this payment-and-reimbursement structure, voters are unaware of who has received over $7.2 million from Trump’s committees,” CLC emphasized. “And the reporting failure is potentially ongoing—underscoring the urgency for a swift and transparent resolution.”

CLC Calls for Investigation

CLC Senior Director Erin Chlopak urged the FEC to launch an investigation.

“When campaigns and committees conceal that information from the public, not only do they complicate the determination of potential violations of the law, but they also deprive voters of the ability to make an informed decision when voting,” she remarked.

At present, President Trump is facing four criminal indictments in four cities totaling 91 felony charges.

Steven Cheung, communication director for the Trump campaign, dismissed the cases against the former president as “Witch-Hunts.”

“President Trump’s legal team will continue to challenge all of these Biden Trials and will be duly compensated for their time and efforts,” Mr. Cheung stated.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Donald J. Trump for President 2024 committee, along with Red Curve, for their responses to the complaint.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.