Financial disclosure forms that Donald Trump filed with the Federal Election Commission reportedly show that $55,000 in campaign funds were used to buy thousands of copies of his latest book.

The Daily Beast writes that on May 10, the Trump campaign made a purchase with Barnes and Noble that would amount to 3,500 copies of “Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again,” or otherwise, 5,000 copies of the soft-cover version. A Trump spokesman told Daily Beast that the books were gifts to Republican National Convention attendees, and that they were offered along with other Trump paraphernalia in goodie bags.

The purchase has invited questions as to whether the campaign diverted the money to the mogul’s pockets, while artificially boosting his sales numbers. Trump might have broken campaign finance law with this kind of financial conversion, and Paul Ryan of the Campaign Legal Center (not the House Speaker) says that it certainly would be a violation if Trump received any royalties from the publisher.

“There’s a well established precedent from the FEC that funds from the campaign account can’t end up in your own pocket,” Ryan said. “The bottom line is, no money of this $55,000 from the book can end up in Donald Trump’s pocket without violating federal law.”

Simon & Schuster, Trump’s publisher, didn’t respond when asked to comment.

The bulk purchase report comes one day after a separate report indicated that Trump made a yuge increase to his campaign HQ’s rent rate at Trump Tower, which was paid for by campaign funds.

[Image via screengrab]

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