NY attorney general files lawsuit against Trump and his charity
ALBANY, N.Y. — A bombshell civil lawsuit filed Thursday by New York state Attorney General Barbara Underwood against President Trump, his kids and their notfor-profit foundation alleges improper coordination between the charity and the president’s 2016 campaign.
The lawsuit, which was filed in Manhattan state Supreme Court on Trump’s 72nd birthday, also said the charity was used to help pay for Trump’s political, personal and business dealings.
“As our investigation reveals, the Trump Foundation was little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality,” Underwood said. “This is not how private foundations should function and my office intends to hold the Foundation and its directors accountable for its misuse of charitable assets.”
The president did not react well to the legal action, which he pinned on Underwood’s predecessor.
“The sleazy New York Democrats, and their now disgraced (and run out of town) A.G. Eric Schneiderman, are doing everything they can to sue me on a foundation that took in $18,800,000 and gave out to charity more money than it took in, $19,200,000. I won’t settle this case!” he tweeted.
“Schneiderman, who ran the Clinton campaign in New York, never had the guts to bring this ridiculous case, which lingered in their office for almost 2 years. Now he resigned his office in disgrace, and his disciples brought it when we would not settle,” Trump added.
The lawsuit, which stems from a probe that began in June 2016, just months before the election, alleges the Donald J. Trump Foundation raised $2.8 million that was used at the direction of top Trump campaign officials to help influence the 2016 presidential election.
“The Foundation’s grants made Mr. Trump and the Campaign look charitable and increased the candidate’s profile to Republican primary voters and among important constituent groups,” the lawsuit says.