President-Elect Biden’s Transition: Live Updates as Trump Starts PAC

President Trump is directing money raised through his campaign’s breathless requests to “defend the election” into a new political action committee before his recount fund, a move that allows him greater flexibility to bankroll his future political endeavors.

The new group, called Save America, is a federal fund-raising vehicle known as a leadership PAC that has donation limits of $5,000 per donor per year.

It will be used to underwrite Mr. Trump’s post-presidential activities, tapping into the vast reservoir of small donors that made him a dominant fund-raiser, for a time, in 2020. But it is likely to have far greater significance for a man who is refusing not only to concede the election but remains reluctant to surrender the spotlight. In that sense, his PAC could become a fan-subsidized machine to perpetuate his agenda and plot his next moves.

In the days since the election, Mr. Trump’s campaign has blitzed supporters with text messages and emails almost hourly, spreading unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud and asking supporters to give to the “official election defense fund.”

“We need YOUR HELP to DEFEND the integrity of our Election,” read one email early Tuesday morning.

The fine print shows where the money is actually going.

Initially, 60 percent of donations were going to pay off debts that the Trump campaign had accumulated. But as of Tuesday, that had shifted.

Now, 60 percent of donations are earmarked for Save America, which was registered with the Federal Election Commission on Monday by Bradley T. Crate. Mr. Crate also serves as Mr. Trump’s campaign treasurer.

Only after a donor gives more than $5,000 does any of the money go to the recount account that Mr. Trump set up.

In addition, 40 percent of every donation goes to the Republican National Committee.

“Small donors who give thinking they’re helping to defend the integrity of our election are in fact largely helping to finance Trump’s post-presidential political ventures,” said Brendan M. Fischer, an attorney at the Campaign Legal Center, a watchdog group.

Mr. Trump can use the new political action committee to support other candidates, as well to fund his own travel, polling and political team.

Republicans will likely be clamoring for the help, given the fact that Mr. Trump matched or outperformed many down-ballot candidates in their own districts. The first test is likely to come during Georgia’s January runoff for the Senate seats occupied by the Trump loyalists David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. The outcome will decide which party controls the Senate.

Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Mr. Trump, said on Monday that the leadership PAC had been planned before the election. “The president always planned to do this, win or lose, so he can support candidates and issues he cares about, such as combating voter fraud,” Mr. Murtaugh said.

Leadership PACs are generally seen as loosely regulated — Joseph R. Biden Jr. operated one during the 2018 midterms ahead of his own presidential run — and the committee…