Mary Trump, the estranged niece of former President Donald Trump, has voiced concerns regarding the operations of her uncle's legal defense fund. The Patriot Legal Defense Fund (PLDF), established to support Donald Trump's legal battles, recently faced scrutiny for its spending patterns, as it reportedly spent a fraction of the $1.6 million it raised in six months.
In her Substack blog, Mary Trump responded to a report revealing the PLDF's spending of less than $30,000 of the funds raised, none of which was allocated to legal cases. This discrepancy prompted Mary and attorney Joe Gallina to highlight "red flags" about the fund's actual purpose and the usage of the money. Gallina emphasized that non-profits like PLDF have a fiduciary duty to their donors to utilize resources for their stated purpose, stating, "If a non-profit misuses funds, it is FRAUD."
The PLDF's financial report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicates that it spent only $28,578 over the last six months. This included $18,136 for "banquet hall" fees at Mar-a-Lago and a consultancy payment of $2,500 to Michael Glassner, a political adviser to Trump who runs the fund. Notably, the former president is currently facing four criminal indictments and a total of 91 felony charges, ranging from attempts to overturn the 2020 election results to mishandling classified documents and making hush money payments.
Adding to the controversy, the former president has launched another money-making initiative: selling trading cards featuring pieces of the suit he wore in his mugshot, priced at $99 per card on his campaign's website.
Mary Trump, a vocal critic of her uncle, questioned the PLDF's lack of expenditure on legal fees, asking, "Why would a fund created to supposedly cover legal fees instead put money directly into Donald's pocket? What does Donald know about it?" She also drew parallels to past legal issues associated with Donald Trump-related funds, mentioning the "BUILD THE WALL" campaign where co-founder Brian Kolfage and others were sentenced to prison for misusing funds raised for the US-Mexico border wall project.
The PLDF's recent activities and spending have raised concerns among critics and legal experts alike, casting doubt on its operational integrity and transparency. Mary Trump's public questioning of the fund's management underscores ongoing skepticism about the former president's financial dealings and the ethical considerations surrounding his fundraising efforts.
