The US President’s Donald J Trump Foundation will be dissolved under court supervision and its remaining assets donated to other charities as part of a New York law suit that claims Mr Trump and his children used its funds as a “piggy bank” to boost his 2016 presidential campaign.
According to the suit, up to $3 million went to the campaign – despite charitable organisations not being eligible to donate.
Other questionable ‘donations’ include $100,000 that Trump bid on a trip to Paris to benefit pop star Madonna’s charity; $25,000 to Florida’s Attorney General; and a $20,000 portrait of the future President back in 2007.
“Our petition detailed a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation – including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and wilful self-dealing, and much more,” New York Attorney-General and Democrat Barbara Underwood said.
Ms Underwood is seeking to recoup $2.8 million in funds – and ban Mr Trump and his three eldest children Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric from the boards of other New York charities.
Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for the Trumps, has denied the allegations, saying the Foundation has distributed around $26 million to more than 700 charitable organisations over the past decade.
But the suit will move ahead after the New York Supreme Court rejected Trump’s bid to have it dismissed.
The news coincides with a new ad for President Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign asking people to call a hotline – to thank their commander-in-chief for all the work he’s done – yes, really.
As one Twitter user said: “Do they drug test at campaign headquarters?”
Good question.
