{"slug":"trump-foundation-self-dealing","title":"Trump Foundation: Charitable Fraud and Self-Dealing by the Trump Organization","date":"2016-09-13","lastUpdated":"2019-11-07","description":"The Donald J. Trump Foundation was dissolved by court order in December 2018 after New York's attorney general found extensive self-dealing, violations of state nonprofit law, and illegal coordination with the Trump presidential campaign — including using charitable funds to pay legal settlements for Trump's businesses and to purchase a portrait of Trump for display at a Trump golf club.","summary":"The New York AG investigation found that the Trump Foundation was used as a checkbook for Trump's personal and business interests rather than charitable purposes: charitable funds settled legal disputes for Trump businesses, purchased a $10,000 portrait of Trump, made politically timed donations, and were illegally coordinated with the 2016 campaign. Trump was required to pay $2 million to legitimate charities as a penalty.","category":"corruption","severity":"major","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2018/ag-underwood-sues-donald-j-trump-foundation-and-its-board-directors-persistent","title":"AG Underwood Sues Donald J. Trump Foundation and Its Board of Directors","publisher":"New York Attorney General"},{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/us/politics/trump-foundation-lawsuit.html","title":"New York A.G. Sues Trump Foundation, Alleging Persistent Illegal Conduct","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2019/attorney-general-james-announces-court-ordered-dissolution-trump-foundation","title":"Attorney General James Announces Court-Ordered Dissolution of Trump Foundation","publisher":"New York Attorney General"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-used-258000-from-his-charity-to-settle-legal-problems/2016/09/20/adc88f9c-7d11-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html","title":"Trump used $258,000 from his charity to settle legal problems","publisher":"The Washington Post"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["corruption","charity-fraud","Trump-Foundation","self-dealing","pre-presidency","nonprofit-fraud"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2016-09-13","title":"Washington Post reveals legal settlement payments","summary":"The Washington Post reports that Trump used $258,000 from the Trump Foundation to settle legal disputes involving his for-profit businesses — a practice known as self-dealing that violates IRS rules for tax-exempt organizations."},{"date":"2016-09-13","title":"Portrait purchases revealed","summary":"Investigation reveals the Foundation purchased a $10,000 portrait of Trump at a charity auction — displayed at a Trump golf club — and a $20,000 portrait purchased in 2014."},{"date":"2018-06-14","title":"New York AG sues Foundation","summary":"New York AG Barbara Underwood files a lawsuit seeking dissolution of the Foundation, $2.8 million in restitution, and a ban on Trump serving as a director of any New York nonprofit for 10 years."},{"date":"2018-12-18","title":"Trump Foundation dissolved by court order","summary":"The Donald J. Trump Foundation is dissolved under court supervision. Remaining assets — approximately $1.8 million — are distributed to legitimate charities chosen by the New York AG."},{"date":"2019-11-07","title":"Trump ordered to pay $2 million","summary":"A New York court orders Trump to pay $2 million in damages to be distributed to eight legitimate charities: Army Emergency Relief, City Meals on Wheels, Give an Hour, Martha's Table, United Negro College Fund, United Way of National Capital Area, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the United States Fund for UNICEF."}],"location":{"name":"New York, NY","lat":40.7128,"lng":-74.006},"custom":{"era":"pre-presidency","posture":"judicial-finding","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[],"iccRelevance":false,"victims":"Donors to the Trump Foundation who believed their funds were being used for charitable purposes; charities deprived of funds used for self-dealing","perpetrators":"Donald Trump (controlled and directed Foundation); Trump Organization","structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"President of the Donald J. Trump Foundation","institution":"Donald J. Trump Foundation"},{"name":"Donald Trump Jr.","role":"Foundation board member","institution":"Donald J. Trump Foundation"},{"name":"Ivanka Trump","role":"Foundation board member","institution":"Donald J. Trump Foundation"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2019-11-07","summary":"Updated with court order requiring $2 million in damages."},{"date":"2018-12-18","summary":"Updated with court-ordered dissolution."}]}}