The Pac man Trump keeps gobbling 

Campaign watchdogs are on high alert for the fundraising schemes run by the former US president and his allies

Former US president Donald Trump: His cachet with small donors is still exploited by party allies, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the fundraising arm for Republican senators. Picture: AP 

Donald Trump’s penchant for turning his political and legal troubles into fundraising schemes has long been recognised, but the former US president’s money hustling tricks seem to have expanded since his defeat by Joe Biden, prompting new scrutiny and criticism from campaign finance watchdogs and legal analysts.

Critics note Trump has built an arsenal of political committees and non-profit groups, staffed with dozens of ex-administration officials and loyalists, which seem aimed at sustaining his political hopes for a comeback, and exacting revenge on Republican congressional critics. These groups have been aggressive in raising money through at times misleading appeals to the party base, which polls show share Trump’s false views he lost the White House due to fraud.