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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNew Records Shed Light on Donald Trump’s $25,000 Gift to Florida Official
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. It was Aug. 29, 2013, an unremarkable day inside Floridas whitewashed Capitol, and a typically sweltering one outside among the moss-bearded oaks and sabal palms. Around 3:45 p.m., Jennifer Meale, the communications director for Attorney General Pam Bondi, fielded a seemingly routine call from a financial reporter for The Orlando Sentinel. The attorney general of New York had recently filed a lawsuit against Donald J. Trump alleging fraud in the marketing of Trump Universitys real estate and wealth-building seminars. Had Florida ever conducted its own investigation, the reporter asked.
The call set off an exchange of emails between Ms. Meale and top lawyers in the office. She learned that 23 complaints about Trump-related education enterprises had been filed before Ms. Bondi became attorney general in 2011, and one since. They had never generated a formal investigation, she wrote the reporter, but added, We are currently reviewing the allegations in the New York complaint.
The Sentinels report, which was published on Sept. 13, 2013, paraphrased Ms. Meales response and took it a step further, saying that Ms. Bondis office would determine whether Florida should join the multi-state case. Four days later, a check for $25,000 from the Donald J. Trump Foundation landed in the Tampa office of a political action committee that had been formed to support Ms. Bondis 2014 re-election. In mid-October, her office announced that it would not be acting on the Trump University complaints.
The proximate timing of the Sentinel article and Mr. Trumps 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. Trumps 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. Trumps foundation by New York regulators.
The call set off an exchange of emails between Ms. Meale and top lawyers in the office. She learned that 23 complaints about Trump-related education enterprises had been filed before Ms. Bondi became attorney general in 2011, and one since. They had never generated a formal investigation, she wrote the reporter, but added, We are currently reviewing the allegations in the New York complaint.
The Sentinels report, which was published on Sept. 13, 2013, paraphrased Ms. Meales response and took it a step further, saying that Ms. Bondis office would determine whether Florida should join the multi-state case. Four days later, a check for $25,000 from the Donald J. Trump Foundation landed in the Tampa office of a political action committee that had been formed to support Ms. Bondis 2014 re-election. In mid-October, her office announced that it would not be acting on the Trump University complaints.
The proximate timing of the Sentinel article and Mr. Trumps 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. Trumps 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. Trumps foundation by New York regulators.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/us/politics/pam-bondi-donald-trump-foundation.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
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New Records Shed Light on Donald Trump’s $25,000 Gift to Florida Official (Original Post)
spanone
Sep 2016
OP
Spread on FB and Twitter. It's the real RIGGING of the system and Trump is one of the RIGGERS.
blm
Sep 2016
#2
Bet your Trump supporting coworkers that Trump will get like locked up long before Hillary
world wide wally
Sep 2016
#3
Dustlawyer
(10,497 posts)1. Don't forget Texas governor and then AG Greg Abbott!
He took $10,000 more than Bondi!
blm
(113,083 posts)2. Spread on FB and Twitter. It's the real RIGGING of the system and Trump is one of the RIGGERS.
Trump and Bondi belong in jail.
world wide wally
(21,754 posts)3. Bet your Trump supporting coworkers that Trump will get like locked up long before Hillary
malaise
(269,157 posts)4. K & R and pass me some of these
Gothmog
(145,496 posts)5. This a real scandal and is not going to go away
napkinz
(17,199 posts)11. Trump is trying to make it go away
Going on Dr. Oz, he's been able to distract the MSM from his scandals.
jonno99
(2,620 posts)12. Eh - this point make prosecution difficult:
But documents obtained this week by The New York Times, including a copy of Mr. Trumps check, at least partly undercut that timeline. Although the check was received by Ms. Bondis 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.
However...
The checks 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.
We'll see how it plays out...
spanone
(135,863 posts)13. THIS would be a MAJOR scandal for Hillary.....
it should read $25,000 BRIBE!
SHRED
(28,136 posts)6. Yet Hillary's health is the leading issue
Go figure.
kacekwl
(7,021 posts)7. Dogged Trump and Bondi for 3 years ,
and intensified since he became a candidate. ? WHERE WHAT HOW ? Free pass so far as I see.
mountain grammy
(26,644 posts)9. What's really disgusting and even a little amazing
is how cheaply these politicians can be bought. Now, my GOP Senator has taken over $3 million from the NRA over a decade. At least the guy's not selling himself cheap.
They all make me sick..
gademocrat7
(10,666 posts)10. K&R!