The Republican National Committee (RNC) was unable to secure enough state support to pass a resolution barring former President Trump from paying his legal fees.
Henry Barber, Mississippi’s national commissioner, confirmed to multiple news outlets that a resolution he authored that would have barred the committee from taking up the former president’s growing bill has been invalidated.
The RNC is meeting in Houston on Friday to elect a new chair, after former chair Ronna McDaniel announced she would step down on March 8.
Barber Confirmed with Politico He said the resolution is “invalid” and will not be voted on at Friday’s meeting because it only has co-sponsors from eight of the 10 states needed for a vote.
President Trump has already endorsed McDaniel’s replacement, RNC General Counsel Michael Whatley. He also endorsed his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as the next co-chair.
Lara Trump previously said she would “spend every penny” of RNC funds to re-elect her father-in-law to the White House.
Republican critics say the move is an attempt by Trump’s campaign to streamline the RNC and raises big questions about whether the party will pay for the lawsuit. Trump currently faces 91 felonies in four separate investigations and was recently ordered to pay more than $355 million in a New York civil fraud case.
Trump’s campaign advisers have said he will not seek help from the RNC regarding legal proceedings, but federal election filings posted in January indicate that the former president’s fundraising committee will not be available until the second half of 2023. The company reportedly spent nearly $30 million in legal fees. He has contacted the RNC for further comment.
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