Trumps Accused of Misusing Charity for ‘Self-Dealing’
The New York state attorney general’s office on Thursday sued President Donald Trump, his children and the family’s foundation, accusing the charity of unlawfully coordinating with Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign.
The lawsuit also accuses Mr. Trump of using the Donald J. Trump Foundation’s charitable assets to pay his legal bills and promote Trump businesses.
It also asks that board members Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump be banned from serving on the board of any charity in New York.
.. “As our investigation reveals, the Trump Foundation was little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality,” state Attorney General Barbara Underwood said
.. The attorney general’s office said its investigation found the foundation raised more than $2.8 million in a way designed to influence the 2016 election. It said Mr. Trump raised these funds at a nationally televised fundraiser that he held in Iowa instead of participating in a presidential primary debate.
The attorney general’s office also alleges that senior Trump campaign staff dictated the timing, amounts and recipients of grants the foundation made to nonprofits.
In one email, dated Jan. 29, 2016, Corey Lewandowski, then Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, wrote, “Is there any way we can make some disbursements this week while in Iowa? Specifically on Saturday.”