NY Atty General Eric Schneidermann has just served the foundation with a “shut it down” order regarding veteran’s fundraiser! MORE as it evolves! does not mean the foundation has to stop GIVING money — only that it has to stop soliciting money!
Charitable foundations must be registered with the state to be able to legally raise funds, however, according to the Washington Post, Atty Gen. Schneidermann has declined to state whether this lack of registration is the reason for the Cease and Desist Order.
Schneiderman’s office declined to comment on whether it was investigating the lack of registration for the Trump Foundation. Schneiderman had previously launched an investigation of the foundation in the wake of reports by The Washington Post that Trump used his charity’s money to make a political gift, to buy paintings of himself and to settle legal disputes involving his for-profit businesses.
IF the paperwork is the sole reason for the shutdown, the foundation now has 15 days to file the proper paperwork regarding the money raised for Veteran’s charity — if they don’t file the proper paperwork, they will have to refund the money raised so far.
However, the Atty General is has been investigating multiple violations within the foundation:
the lack of donations by mr trump into the foundation, two portraits of trump that are in his personal possession, as well as the political donation for pam bond (the foundation was fined $25,000 for that donation that was paid personally by trump who then paid the $25,000 back into the foundation).
according to WAPO, Trump also has directed money owed his business to pay those funds into his tax free foundation.
Donald Trump’s charitable foundation has received approximately $2.3 million from companies that owed money to Trump or one of his businesses but were instructed to pay Trump’s tax-exempt foundation instead, according to people familiar with the transactions.
In cases where he diverted his own income to his foundation, tax experts said, Trump would still likely be required to pay taxes on the income. Trump has refused to release his personal tax returns. His campaign said he paid income tax on one of the donations, but did not respond to questions about the others.
the question now is whether this is “too little, too late”— has the media failed so miserably at its job that people no longer care what this man does — they will vote for him anyway! let’s hope the october surprises just keep on coming. unless, of course, trump can make up enough stories to feed their frenzy until november.