{"slug":"trump-foundation-shut-down-fraud-charity","title":"Trump Foundation Dissolved Under Fraud Investigation — Self-Dealing, Political Donations, Portrait Purchases","date":"2016-11-01","lastUpdated":"2019-11-07","description":"The Donald J. Trump Foundation was dissolved in December 2018 under court supervision after the New York Attorney General determined it had been used as a personal checkbook, funding political campaigns (illegal for a charity), purchasing portraits of Trump for his businesses, and making payouts that benefited Trump personally. Trump and his children agreed to pay $2 million in damages and accept restrictions on serving on nonprofit boards. The foundation's entire $1.78 million balance was distributed to legitimate charities under court supervision.","summary":"The Trump Foundation, a charitable organization, was found by the New York AG to have engaged in a pattern of illegal conduct including: making a $25,000 donation to Florida AG Pam Bondi (who was deciding whether to open a Trump University investigation), purchasing a $20,000 portrait of Trump, paying off legal settlements for Trump businesses, and illegally coordinating with the Trump 2016 presidential campaign. Trump had also used foundation money to pay personal legal settlements — including $258,000 to resolve lawsuits involving his businesses.","category":"corruption","severity":"major","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/nyregion/trump-foundation-lawsuit.html","title":"Trump Foundation Ordered to Pay $2 Million for Misuse of Charity","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-used-258000-from-his-charity-to-settle-legal-problems/2016/09/20/areportedly-paid-settlements-trump-foundation/story.html","title":"Trump used $258,000 from his charity to settle legal problems","publisher":"The Washington Post"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-boasted-about-his-philanthropy-but-his-giving-has-been-less-than-advertised/2016/04/10/b3b4851e-0134-11e6-9d36-33d198ea26c5_story.html","title":"How Trump raised — and used — money at his charity","publisher":"The Washington Post"},{"url":"https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2019/attorney-general-james-directs-court-supervised-dissolution-trump-foundation","title":"AG James Directs Court-Supervised Dissolution of Trump Foundation","publisher":"New York Attorney General"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["foundation","fraud","pre-presidency","charity","Bondi","self-dealing"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2013-09-17","title":"Foundation donates $25,000 to Pam Bondi campaign","summary":"The Trump Foundation donates $25,000 to the political campaign of Florida AG Pam Bondi — an illegal contribution from a charitable organization. The donation occurs while Bondi's office is reviewing whether to join a multistate investigation of Trump University. Florida does not join the investigation."},{"date":"2016-09-20","title":"Washington Post reveals foundation self-dealing","summary":"The Washington Post reports that Trump used $258,000 in foundation funds to settle legal disputes involving his for-profit businesses. This is illegal under New York law governing charitable organizations."},{"date":"2016-09-23","title":"IRS complaint filed over illegal political contribution","summary":"The Trump Foundation files an amended IRS return acknowledging the illegal $25,000 political contribution to Bondi and paying a $2,500 tax penalty — 10% of the amount, as required."},{"date":"2018-06-14","title":"NY AG files civil lawsuit","summary":"New York AG Barbara Underwood files a civil lawsuit against the Trump Foundation and Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and Donald Trump Jr., seeking $2.8 million in restitution and dissolving the foundation."},{"date":"2018-12-18","title":"Foundation dissolved","summary":"The Trump Foundation agrees to dissolve under court supervision. The remaining $1.78 million in assets is distributed to legitimate charities under oversight by the AG's office."},{"date":"2019-11-07","title":"Court orders $2 million in damages","summary":"A New York court orders Trump to pay $2 million in damages to eight nonprofit organizations, finding he had misused charitable assets. His children receive restrictions on nonprofit board service."}],"location":{"name":"New York, NY","lat":40.7128,"lng":-74.006},"custom":{"era":"pre-presidency","posture":"judicial-finding","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[],"iccRelevance":false,"victims":"Charitable donors; legitimate charitable organizations that received less funding; veterans groups that received promised donations only after press scrutiny; Pam Bondi conflict-of-interest implications for Florida Trump University investigation","structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"Controlled and directed Trump Foundation; personally benefited from foundation funds","institution":"Donald J. Trump Foundation"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2019-11-07","summary":"Updated with $2 million damages order."}]}}