Donald Trump has been burning through millions of dollars as he faces an onslaught of legal bills from the investigations threatening his presidential election bid — with some sources of funding drying up fast. The former US president is hardly strapped for cash, as his joint fundraising committee brought in $54 million during the first half of 2023 — more than any of his Republican primary rivals in next year’s election. But critics say new financial filings demonstrate how his spiraling legal woes are making a significant dent in a war chest that could be going to TV spots, rallies and other campaign events as he bids for a second term. The Save America political action committee (PAC) Trump founded disclosed this week that it was down to its last $4 million by the end of June — loose change in campaign finance terms — after spending more than $20 million on legal fees. Trump has a wide berth to spend vast sums on lawyers, and there is no question of criminal wrongdoing in doing so, but Washington watchers have questioned whether campaign donors should be expected to pick up such tabs. “If you’re sending Trump money, it’s almost exclusively going to his personal legal fees,” said attorney and conservative political writer A.G. Hamilton. “Which also means they are going to have practically nothing left over for spending on turnout efforts to compete with Democrats in key states.” Trump’s latest indictment over his push to overturn the 2020 election will further strain resources, with legal bills now his PAC’s largest expense as the billionaire faces indictments in Florida, New York and Washington. The Republican National Committee covered most of Trump’s legal bills until November last year but stopped when he launched his 2024 election bid. His various political operations have around $32 million cash in the bank heading towards January’s Iowa caucus — the first nominating contest in the primary season. Most of the money Trump raises goes directly to his presidential campaign, with just 10 percent going to Save America, which has been covering legal expenses for almost any figure in Trump’s orbit ensnared in the investigations. The PAC, which raises most of its money from small-dollar donations, informed the Federal Election Commission it had given $21.6 million to law firms defending Trump and his allies this year — $5 million more than its total legal costs in 2021 and 2022 combined. Estimated by Forbes to be worth $2.5 billion, the former reality TV star enters primary season charged with 78 felonies in three separate criminal probes. He is due to go on trial in New York in March next year over allegations that he covered up “hush money” payments to a porn star, and is scheduled to be tried two months later over his alleged mishandling of national security secrets.