The Trump Foundation, including Trump’s children and the President himself, was sued on Thursday by the New York Attorney General. Allegedly, they were found to have violated both state and federal laws.
The New York Attorney General, Barbara Underwood, stated that the Foundation has violated campaign finance laws by self-dealing and illegally coordinating funds with the presidential campaign.
The “charity” has been under investigation for over two years, both during and after Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The Trump Foundation was found to be improperly using funds, spending its garnered money on Trump’s personal ventures.
The New York Times wrote that Trump “[spent] $10,000 on a portrait of [himself] that was hung at one of his golf clubs.”
Furthermore, there is evidence that the Trump Foundation used tax-deductible donations to benefit his businesses. He paid legal settlements for his personal vacation spot with the money from the foundation when he should have made these settlements with his personal or business accounts.
The Trump campaign has also been accused of extensively directing and coordinating the foundation’s activities, including a fundraiser which was held just before a critical Republican caucus vote. Trump actually signed a false filing date, claiming that the aforementioned fundraiser was held to raise money for veterans.
Underwood’s goal is to suspend the organization and ban Trump from serving as the director of any nonprofit organizations for 10 years. His children would be prohibited from serving as directors of any nonprofits for at least 1 year.
“This is not how private foundations should function, and my office intends to hold the Foundation and its directors accountable for its misuse of charitable assets,” Underwood stated.
Trump and the foundation have stated that suing them is uncalled for. The foundation has apparently donated over $19 million to worthy charitable causes, which is more money than it has received (around $18 million.)
However, Underwood has stated that she will not surrender until the Trump Foundation owns up to their wrongdoings and pays for them.
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