Deabeat Donny: Fees -- not just strategy -- blew up Trump's legal team

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Disagreements over legal strategy weren't the only reason Donald Trump's defense team collapsed just days before his second impeachment trial, Axios has learned.

What we're hearing: The notoriously stingy former president and his lead lawyer, Butch Bowers, wrangled over compensation during a series of tense phone calls, sources familiar with their conversations said. The argument came even though Trump has raised over $170 million from the public that could be used on his legal defenses.

The two initially agreed Bowers would be paid $250,000 for his individual services, a figure that "delighted" Trump, one of the sources said.

However, Trump didn't realize Bowers hadn't included additional expenses — including more lawyers, researchers and other legal fees that would be accrued on the job.

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https://www.axios.com/trump-legal-fees-impeachment-trial-8f6578e6-0662-4aea-8edc-aee2530c5165.html

[Blue Owl]

1. Wonder where he learned the life lesson that you don't have to pay for anything?

[SKKY]

2. If you have a billion dollars, and are worried about this...

...why would you sweat over 3 million? Or even 20 million? You know why? BECAUSE HE ISN'T VERY RICH!!!!

[Demobrat]

3. All unpaid invoices are for the same amount

Zero. It doesn’t matter what he agrees to, it’s what he pays up, and nobody likes to work for free.

[Gothmog]

4. Trump's lawyers quit after he refused to pay $3M in legal fees despite raising $170M: report

Link to tweet

Former President Donald Trump's legal team for his upcoming impeachment trial quit following a dispute about the cost of his defense, according to Axios.

Five of Trump's impeachment attorneys abruptly quit just over a week before his Senate trial is set to kick off on Feb. 8. CNN and other outlets have reported that lead attorney Butch Bowers and four other lawyers he assembled for the team walked out over a disagreement about the ex-president's defense strategy but Axios reports that the team split following a blow-up with the "notoriously stingy" onetime reality TV host over legal fees. Trump, who is charged with inciting the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, was "livid" after Bowers told him that the legal effort would cost $3 million, according to the report, even though Trump has raised over $170 million from supporters, ostensibly to fund his post-election legal efforts.

Trump and Bowers initially agreed that the latter would be paid $250,000, which "delighted" the billionaire, according to the report. But that fee did not include additional costs for other lawyers, researchers and legal fees. Trump was "infuriated" after Bowers told him the total budget would be $3 million, though he ultimately haggled the attorney down to $1 million while planning to use his political action committee to pay for "audiovisuals, a rapid-response team and legislative liaison."

The episode highlighted the Trump team's dishonest fundraising campaign that has bombarded his supporters with messages asking for money to support his post-election legal battles, which came to nothing. Though Trump raised about $175 million in a joint venture with the Republican National Committee, he spent just $10 million on legal costs while spending nearly $50 million on ads and fundraising, according to The New York Times. The RNC likewise spent little of its portion of the funds on legal efforts. Most of the funds were raised from small-dollar donations as many of Trump's top donors avoided contributing to his effort.