Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California and one of Donald Trump’s most persistent political adversaries, has launched a legal defense fund as he faces a barrage of investigations and public attacks from the Trump administration. The move comes amid escalating legal and political tensions, with Schiff at the center of multiple inquiries tied to his past work investigating Trump and his administration, as well as new accusations regarding his personal finances.
Schiff’s decision to create the "Senator Schiff Legal Defense Fund"—with paperwork filed to the IRS on August 14 and 15, 2025, according to The New York Times—reflects the mounting legal pressure he faces as Trump and his allies intensify efforts to scrutinize and, in their words, "hold accountable" those who led investigations against the former president. Schiff, who gained national prominence for his role as lead impeachment manager during Trump’s first impeachment and as a member of the House committee probing the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, has long been a lightning rod for Trump’s ire.
As reported by NOTUS, the legal defense fund was established just as the Trump administration ramped up its public and legal campaign against Schiff. Marisol Samayoa, Schiff’s spokesperson, explained the reasoning behind the fund: “It’s clear that Donald Trump and his MAGA allies will continue weaponizing the justice process to attack Senator Schiff for holding this corrupt administration accountable. This fund will ensure he can fight back against these baseless smears while continuing to do his job.”
The legal challenges facing Schiff are multifaceted. In July 2025, Trump accused Schiff on his social media platform of engaging in a “sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud.” The allegations center on Schiff’s listing of a Maryland property as his primary residence in 2009, allegedly to secure more favorable mortgage terms. Trump claimed that Schiff continued to cite the property as his primary residence through multiple transactions until October 13, 2020, when it was finally designated as a second home. The Department of Justice, now led by Trump appointees, opened an investigation into these claims, with Ed Martin, a former Interim U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., named as special prosecutor to supervise the probe.
Martin’s appointment has drawn criticism from Schiff’s legal team and allies, who view the investigation as politically motivated. Preet Bharara, a former U.S. attorney in New York and Schiff’s lawyer for this case, told NOTUS, “The allegations against Senator Schiff are transparently false, stale, and long debunked. The bias here is glaring.” Schiff himself has denied any wrongdoing, reportedly calling the mortgage investigation “a bit of a letdown” given the more serious allegations previously leveled against him by Trump. According to a source familiar with the situation, Schiff consulted with House counsel and mortgage lenders in declaring the Maryland home a "primary residence" in 2003, in addition to his required California residence as a member of Congress.
Legal scrutiny hasn’t stopped at Schiff’s finances. Trump and his allies have also revived accusations that Schiff leaked classified documents during his tenure as chair of the House Intelligence Committee. FBI Director Kash Patel recently released declassified whistleblower statements alleging that Schiff leaked sensitive information in 2016 to benefit then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Schiff’s office was quick to dismiss these claims as “absolutely and categorically false,” describing them as a politically motivated attempt to distract from Trump’s own troubles. A spokesperson for Schiff told NOTUS that the allegations originated from a “disgruntled former staffer who was fired by the House Intelligence Committee for cause in early 2017, including for harassment and potentially compromising activity on official travel for the Committee.”
These claims were previously reviewed by prosecutors and the Justice Department’s inspector general, who, according to Reuters, concluded in a 2024 report that the witness “had little support for their contentions” and “may not have been credible.” Despite this, Trump has continued to publicly call for legal action against Schiff, most recently at the Kennedy Center on August 13, 2025, where he said, “These people put our country at great danger, and Adam Schiff was all made up. Hopefully something is going to happen with it.”
Trump’s personal attacks on Schiff have been relentless, with the president labeling him “shifty” and a “scam artist” and even suggesting he should be arrested for treason. These broadsides have not deterred Schiff, who remains outspoken in his criticism of Trump. After winning a Senate seat in 2024, Schiff continued to challenge the former president, including questioning whether Trump sought commitments for media coverage in exchange for approving the merger of Paramount Global with Skydance Media—a deal that followed a $16 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by Trump.
Adding another layer to the legal drama, President Joe Biden, before leaving office, issued preemptive pardons to members of the January 6 committee, including Schiff, in an effort to shield them from potential retribution by the incoming Trump administration. Schiff, however, declined the pardon, calling it “unwise” and arguing that such actions set a poor precedent for the rule of law.
For Schiff and his team, the creation of the legal defense fund is as much about political survival as it is about legal strategy. “This fund will ensure he can fight back against these baseless smears while continuing to do his job,” Samayoa reiterated in statements to multiple outlets. Schiff himself has remained defiant, stating on social media in July, “And this baseless attempt at political retribution won’t stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot.”
The coming months promise to be turbulent for Schiff as the investigations proceed and political rhetoric intensifies. With the legal defense fund now in place, Schiff is preparing for what could be a protracted battle on multiple fronts—one that will test both his resolve and the resilience of the institutions he has long championed. As the story continues to unfold, all eyes will be on whether the investigations yield substantive findings or become another chapter in the ongoing saga of political retribution in Washington.
