THREAD: CAMPAIGN DOLLARS AS A TRUMP TOOL TO SILENCE CRITICS: One aspect we dig into in this piece is how Trump has used $$ donated by supporters to silence/intimidate ex aides who raised ??s abt actions by Trump or his campaign. LETS TAKE A DEEPER LOOK>>>> https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/us/politics/trump-campaign-funds-legal-bills.html

Trump's targets using donated campaign $$$s include Jessica Denson who alleged abusive treatment and sexual harassment by another campaign staff member. Trump filed arbitration claim here--and initially got $50,000 award against Denson. FULL DOC https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/101616-2017-jessica-denson-v-jessica-denson-exhibit-s-17-arbitration-files/b5ecf44c5ac0c015/full.pdf

She was just one target--FUNDED with campaign donations. Trump also used campaign $$ to go after OMAROSA MANIGAULT-NEWMAN. One time big booster of Trump who became a critic. Then target of legal action funded by donors. LINK TO FULL DOCUMENT https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/omarosa-2018-08-04-trump-filing-statement-of-claim-final/c975fec77adc0595/full.pdf

Another targeted figure related to alleged violation of non disparagement/non disclosure agreement was CLIF SIMS, who like others countersued against Trump after Trump used his campaign $$ to try to silence Sims. FULL DOC https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/2019-02-sims-complaint2-11/5897bc7416fcc0ad/full.pdf

Yes, this is a pattern. Aides signed these super broad documents and then when things went sour with Trump (it happens sometimes) he used his campaign war chest to a) attempt to silence them and b) send message to others that they better be careful. https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/denson-a-signed-arbitration-agreement/6747cd24be8e3652/full.pdf

Lawyers and presidential historians I spoke with said they saw no precedent in United States history for a siting president using such a large chunk of campaign dollars to go after his own former aides.

Jessica Denson has now teamed up with corporate lawyer David Bowles to file a class action lawsuit to stop Trump from using these NDAs to block former aides from speaking. Could take a while. But could be an interesting test of POTUS tactic (FULL DOCUMENT) https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/2020-06-01-denson-v-trump-class-action-trump-campaign-nda-complaint/bb8783e88f801d2d/full.pdf

Here again is the NYT "Readers' Guide" to the Trump docket, millions of dollars in legal action, paid for courtesy of GOP donors. https://nyti.ms/3jOmpxx 

I called nearly two dozen donors that have given as much as $106,000 a piece to the RNC for its legal spending account to ask them how they felt about so much of their money being spent to defend Trump's personal interests. None of them would comment.