Trump: I’ll pay Russia inquiry legal bills

DONALD TRUMP intends to spend at least $430,000 (£325,000) of his own money to help pay the legal bills of White House staff and campaign aides related to the investigations into alleged Russian election meddling in the 2016 election.

It is the first such commitment by Mr Trump, who has dismissed the ongoing investigations into whether his campaign colluded with Russia as a “witch hunt” invented by Democrats to explain Hillary Clinton’s loss.

It was unclear exactly how the payouts would be structured or which aides would be receiving them, an official said on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the president’s plans, which were first reported by Axios, a news website

Mr Trump and his aides have been racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees as Robert Mueller, the special counsel, and House and Senate committees dig deeper into the issue. Mr Mueller’s team has been interviewing current and former White House officials, and Trump campaign officials and others have been turning over tens of thousands of emails and documents to federal and congressional investigators.

Michael Caputo, a former campaign aide, has spoken publicly about the financial toll the legal bills have taken on his family, including having to empty his children’s college savings accounts to cover costs.