NEW YORK >> Former President Donald Trump, who throughout his business career had a reputation for not paying lawyers, spent roughly $10 million from his political action committee on his own legal fees last year, federal election filings show.

The money that went to Trump’s legal bills was part of more than $16 million that Trump’s PAC, Save America, spent for legal-related payments in 2021 and 2022, the filings show.

Some of the $16 million appears to have been for lawyers representing witnesses in investigations related to Trump’s efforts to cling to power. But the majority of it — about $10 million — went to firms directly representing Trump in a string of investigations and lawsuits, including some related to his company, the filings showed. Trump was well-known in New York City before winning the presidency in 2016 for refusing to pay his bills to a wide range of service providers and contractors.

— The New York Times