Liberal watchdog group to ask IRS to investigate Trump Foundation’s political gift

Source: The Washington Post

By David A. Fahrenthold September 6 at 11:52 PM

A liberal watchdog group plans to file an IRS complaint against Donald Trump's charitable foundation on Wednesday, asking the tax agency to investigate a $25,000 campaign donation that the charity made to help Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.

That donation violated IRS rules that bar nonprofits from making political gifts. Last week, The Washington Post reported that Trump had paid a $2,500 penalty tax after that improper campaign donation came to light. But this complaint, to be filed Wednesday by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, charges that Trump's gift also violated a separate IRS rule at the same time.

That rule prohibits "self-dealing:" schemes in which nonprofit leaders use their charities' money to benefit themselves.

In this case, the watchdog group alleges that Trump — as president of the Donald J. Trump Foundation — gave this gift in 2013 in order to influence Bondi, whose office was considering whether to pursue an investigation against Trump University. Bondi's office ultimately decided not to pursue that investigation. Three separate lawsuits, including one by the New York Attorney General, allege that Trump University defrauded its students with false promises.

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