Donald Trump’s exorbitant payments to friendly witnesses have catastrophically imploded in his face, critics charge as reported by Newsweek on Tuesday, December 12.
The ex-president doled out a staggering $2.5 million from his PAC to 19 witnesses in his civil fraud trial, it emerged this week.
The eye-popping sums—as high as $900,000 each—were meant to buy glowing testimony for Trump’s defense.
Instead, the payments have engulfed his case in credibility questions and accusations of witness-buying.
“Donald Trump’s use of paid witnesses in his New York civil fraud case has backfired ‘spectacularly’,” writes estranged niece Mary Trump.
She skewered her uncle for having to “crowd-source MILLIONS of dollars to pay ‘experts’ to testify on his behalf.”
But rather than helping Trump’s case, the eye-watering payments have triggered a massive backlash.
Critics say it reeks of extravagantly purchasing favorable testimony instead of relying on facts.
“He’s getting what he paid for because he’s somebody who’s going to come out and say there’s no fraud,” former prosecutor Kristy Greenberg told MSNBC.
Now there are even questions over whether Trump improperly used donor money from his Save America PAC for personal legal bills.
The alleged abuse of funds could trigger a Federal Election Commission investigation, says Mary Trump.
She predicts that between the payments furor and losing the fraud case, her uncle could soon be “broke.”
“I will be celebrating with champagne when he is forced to admit defeat,” she wrote.
The fraud trial revolves around allegations Trump wildly inflated asset values to secure loans.
Despite Trump’s expensive witness payments to prove otherwise, the judge has already ruled fraud occurred.
So instead of helping Trump’s defense, critics say the exorbitant payments have mainly caused PR damage.
“He needs to crowd-source MILLIONS of dollars to pay ‘experts’ to testify on his behalf,” mocked Mary Trump.
Between the payments furor and expected fraud loss, she predicts the trial will leave her uncle financially wrecked.
The episode suggests Trump’s past playbook of plastering over legal holes with money may finally be obsolete.
