In the ongoing $250 million civil fraud trial against Donald Trump, an expert witness testified in court that a portion of his $900,000 in fees was paid by Trump’s Save America PAC. Eli Bartov, an accounting professor at New York University, stated that the compensation was split between the Trump Organization and the political action committee. The use of campaign-oriented funds emphasizes the extensive amount of money being spent by Trump’s PAC on his legal battles, with more than $20 million being spent on legal fees in the first six months of the year. A review of FEC records shows a payment of $40,500 from the Save America PAC to Bartov, and in a July deposition, he revealed that the Trump Organization and the PAC had paid him roughly $520,000 for his work. Bartov, who has devoted 650 hours to the case, contests the New York Attorney General’s Office’s conclusions about Trump’s financial statements. Trump referred to Bartov as a “very strong witness” during his testimony. Save America did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Bartov’s testimony. Lisa Rubin, a former litigator and MSNBC legal analyst, and Adam Reiss, a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC, contributed to this article. Zoë Richards, the evening politics reporter for NBC News, also provided reporting on the trial.
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