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The Trump Foundation-Pam Bondi scandal
(Today: Trump Nominates Pam Bondi as Next AG After Matt Gaetz Withdraws)CREW: The Trump Foundation-Pam Bondi scandal
In March 2016, CREW discovered that the Trump Foundation had broken the law by giving an illegal $25,000 contribution to a political group supporting Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Charitable foundations like the Trump Foundation are not allowed to engage in politics. Even more problematic was the fact that the contribution was given as Bondi’s office was deciding whether to take legal action related to Trump University. This would set off an investigation which would lead to one of the biggest stories of the year. Here’s how it went down:
Feb 01, 2008
From February 2008-May 2011, the Florida Office of the Attorney General (OAG) receives at least 22 complaints regarding Trump University, the Trump Institute, and related entities.
Aug 01, 2013
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman files lawsuit against Donald Trump, The Trump Entrepreneur Institute aka Trump University and the former president of Trump University for “engaging in persistent fraudulent, illegal and deceptive conduct.”
Sep 13, 2013
The Orlando Sentinel reports that OAG told them, “We are currently reviewing the allegations” in the NY lawsuit. A few days later, OAG tells thePalm Beach Post the same thing.
Sep 17, 2013
The Donald J. Trump Foundation makes a $25,000 contribution to And Justice for All, a political group backing Bondi. The donation, illegal for a 501(c)(3) private foundation to give, was personally solicited by Bondi from Trump.
Oct 15, 2013
According to documents turned over in response to a CREW public records request, OAG told reporters that “there was no consideration of whether to join [the New York lawsuit]. In light of the fact that the Attorney General’s Office received only one consumer complaint 2.5 years ago, there is no investigation at this time.”
read more: https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/the-trump-foundation-pam-bondi-scandal/
The proximate timing of the Sentinel article and Mr. Trump’s donation, and suspicions of a quid pro quo, have driven a narrative that has dogged Mr. Trump and Ms. Bondi for three years. It has intensified during Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign, peaking this month with the filing of ethics complaints, calls for a federal investigation by editorial boards and Democrats in Congress, and a new investigation of Mr. Trump’s foundation by New York regulators.
But documents obtained this week by The New York Times, including a copy of Mr. Trump’s check, at least partly undercut that timeline. Although the check was received by Ms. Bondi’s committee four days after the Sentinel report, and was recorded as such in her financial disclosure filings, it was actually dated and signed by Mr. Trump four days before the article appeared.
The check’s date does not categorically demonstrate that Mr. Trump was not seeking to influence Ms. Bondi, a fellow Republican. Even as he has denied trying to do so in this instance, he has boasted brazenly and repeatedly during his presidential campaign that he has made copious campaign contributions over the past two decades, including to Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, in order to buy access and consideration for his business dealings.
more: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/us/politics/pam-bondi-donald-trump-foundation.html
In March 2016, CREW discovered that the Trump Foundation had broken the law by giving an illegal $25,000 contribution to a political group supporting Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Charitable foundations like the Trump Foundation are not allowed to engage in politics. Even more problematic was the fact that the contribution was given as Bondi’s office was deciding whether to take legal action related to Trump University. This would set off an investigation which would lead to one of the biggest stories of the year. Here’s how it went down:
Feb 01, 2008
From February 2008-May 2011, the Florida Office of the Attorney General (OAG) receives at least 22 complaints regarding Trump University, the Trump Institute, and related entities.
Aug 01, 2013
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman files lawsuit against Donald Trump, The Trump Entrepreneur Institute aka Trump University and the former president of Trump University for “engaging in persistent fraudulent, illegal and deceptive conduct.”
Sep 13, 2013
The Orlando Sentinel reports that OAG told them, “We are currently reviewing the allegations” in the NY lawsuit. A few days later, OAG tells thePalm Beach Post the same thing.
Sep 17, 2013
The Donald J. Trump Foundation makes a $25,000 contribution to And Justice for All, a political group backing Bondi. The donation, illegal for a 501(c)(3) private foundation to give, was personally solicited by Bondi from Trump.
Oct 15, 2013
According to documents turned over in response to a CREW public records request, OAG told reporters that “there was no consideration of whether to join [the New York lawsuit]. In light of the fact that the Attorney General’s Office received only one consumer complaint 2.5 years ago, there is no investigation at this time.”
read more: https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/the-trump-foundation-pam-bondi-scandal/
The proximate timing of the Sentinel article and Mr. Trump’s donation, and suspicions of a quid pro quo, have driven a narrative that has dogged Mr. Trump and Ms. Bondi for three years. It has intensified during Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign, peaking this month with the filing of ethics complaints, calls for a federal investigation by editorial boards and Democrats in Congress, and a new investigation of Mr. Trump’s foundation by New York regulators.
But documents obtained this week by The New York Times, including a copy of Mr. Trump’s check, at least partly undercut that timeline. Although the check was received by Ms. Bondi’s committee four days after the Sentinel report, and was recorded as such in her financial disclosure filings, it was actually dated and signed by Mr. Trump four days before the article appeared.
The check’s date does not categorically demonstrate that Mr. Trump was not seeking to influence Ms. Bondi, a fellow Republican. Even as he has denied trying to do so in this instance, he has boasted brazenly and repeatedly during his presidential campaign that he has made copious campaign contributions over the past two decades, including to Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, in order to buy access and consideration for his business dealings.
more: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/us/politics/pam-bondi-donald-trump-foundation.html
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