Trump, his children and foundation sued in New York

NEW YORK: New York’s Attorneygeneral sued United States President Donald Trump, three of his children and his foundation yesterday, saying he illegally used the nonprofit foundation as a personal ‘‘cheque book’’ for his own benefit, including his 2016 presidential campaign.

Barbara Underwood, the Attorneygeneral, asked a New York state judge to dissolve the Donald J. Trump Foundation and to ban Trump, his sons Donald jun and Eric, and his daughter Ivanka, from holding leadership roles in New York charities.

Underwood said her office’s 21month investigation, begun under her predecessor Eric Schneiderman, uncovered ‘‘extensive unlawful political coordination’’ by the foundation with Trump’s campaign, as well as ‘‘repeated and wilful selfdealing’’ to benefit Trump’s personal, business and political interests.

Among the transactions the lawsuit cited as illegal was a $US10,000 ($NZ14,376) payment to the Unicorn Children’s Foundation for a portrait of Trump bought at a fundraising auction in 2014, and $US100,000 paid to another charity to settle a legal claim in 2007.

‘‘Mr Trump ran the foundation according to his whim, rather than the law,’’ the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit, in the state Supreme Court in Manhattan, seeks $US2.8 million of restitution plus penalties, a 10year ban on Trump serving as a director of a New York nonprofit, and oneyear bans for his children.

‘‘As our investigation reveals, the Trump Foundation was little more than a cheque book for payments from Mr Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality,’’ Underwood said.

Trump attacked the lawsuit in a series of posts on Twitter that blamed Democratic politicians in his home state, and the Trump Foundation issued a statement criticising the lawsuit as ‘‘politics at its very worst’’.

The foundation said it had already announced its intention to dissolve in 2016. — Reuters

MONDAY

I wish Justin Trudeau all the best, we’ve met each other on many, many occasions, the first time at the East Asia summit in Vietnam last year, where I was introduced to his partner Jacinda Ardern, I have to say he’s done very well for himself, goodlooking woman, their baby must be due any minute.

So anyway I have a good relationship with Justin. A close and beautiful friendship. And that’s why I feel betrayed that he held a news conference and made hurtful comments, gave provocative statements, said mean things.

He probably assumed I wasn’t watching it because I was in an airplane. Well, Justin doesn’t know that Air Force One has about 20 televisions. Actually more like 50 televisions. There’s a television in the cockpit. Air Force One employs the best pilots in the world, but the computer does everything, the pilots need to stay awake just in case so we have Fox News, we have the shark channel, the highdefinition is beautiful, it’s like the shark is driving the plane.

And there was Justin at his news conference saying the US tariffs are ‘‘kind of insulting’’ and Canada ‘‘will not be pushed around’’.

He will learn that is going to cost a lot of money for the people of

Canada. Because you can’t do that. You just can’t do that. To turn around like that, as soon as my back was turned, and say those things, it’s very weak, it’s very dishonest, it’s not very nice.

Canada feels ‘‘insulted’’, and ‘‘will not be pushed around’’ — you know, I am sick and tired of world leaders who make sweeping statements.

TUESDAY

There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea.

I met with Kim Jongun, who was very open, very honourable, very smart, very worthy, very talented. I said, ‘‘I could use a man like you.’’ He gave an inscrutable smile, and said something to his interpreter.

When all the press had gone, and all the photo opportunities were over, I sidled up to the interpreter and asked what Kim had said to him. He said, ‘‘Nothing’’.

I shook his hand. He felt the bankroll, and put it in his pocket.

He whispered, ‘‘The Supreme Leader said, ‘That’s a coincidence! I’m using you right now.’ ’’

WEDNESDAY

Flew home from Singapore. There was a lot of paperwork to go through from the summit with Kim, but I had more important things to attend to.

I got inflight WiFi working, and wrote on Twitter, ‘‘Robert De Niro, a very Low IQ individual, has received to many shots to the head by real boxers in movies. Wake up Punchy!’’

THURSDAY

Robert De Niro, a very Low IQ individual, has received too many shots to the head by real boxers in movies. I watched him last night and truly believe he may be ‘‘punchdrunk’’. I guess he doesn’t . . . Robert De Niro, a very Low IQ individual, has received too many shots to the head by real boxers in movies. I watched him last night and truly believe he may be ‘‘punchdrunk’’. I guess he doesn’t . . . Robert De Niro, a very Low IQ individual, has received too many shots to the head by real boxers in movies. I watched him last night and truly believe he may be ‘‘punchdrunk’’. I guess he doesn’t . . .

Typo in yesterday’s tweet. Deleted it, and wrote, ‘‘Robert De Niro, a very Low IQ individual, has received too many shots to the head by real boxers in movies. Wake up

Punchy!’’ FRIDAY

Figured the world owed me a day off so spent the day on the greens at MaralLago. I asked staff to hold all calls unless a world leader wanted to get hold of me.

‘‘For you, sir,’’ an aide said, on the ninth hole.

‘‘President Trump,’’ I said, taking the phone.

‘‘Winston Peters,’’ the caller said. ‘‘I’m the Prime Minister of New Zealand.’’

I hung up and said to the aide, ‘‘I thought I told you. Only world leaders.’’