WASHINGTON — As Donald Trump prepares to defend himself in a Washington, D.C. courtroom, he is asking his supporters for help, too. His campaign is using the latest indictment to raise money, and people are speculating on social media that it could provide him another windfall.
QUESTION
Did Donald Trump's campaign fundraising increase because of his previous criminal indictments?
SOURCES
ANSWER
Yes, donations to Donald Trump's campaign increased significantly after an indictment.
WHAT WE FOUND
Detailed campaign finance reports for federal elections must be submitted to the Federal Elections Commission every quarter. The most recent documents related to the 2024 presidential election cover the period up through June 30, 2023.
The former president was charged by the District Attorney of Manhattan in New York City with falsifying business records on April 4, 2023.
His campaign and his joint fundraising committee raised 68% more in the three weeks afterward than the three weeks before.
The weeks before the indictment included the end of the first quarter. Often, campaigns push harder for donations at the ends of quarters to make their filings appear as robust as possible.
On June 8, 2023, special counsel Jack Smith announced the first of two indictments in Florida against Donald Trump related to his possession and handling of classified documents.
In the three weeks afterward, the former president raised 135% more money than in the three weeks prior.
The time before and after this third indictment will be covered in the next set of campaign filings, which are due at the end of September.