New York is suing the charitable organization run by President Donald Trump and his family, accusing it of repeated violations of federal law. The lawsuit combines numerous questionable dealings already known.
The suit describes the private charity as little more than a checkbook for Trump’s election campaign, his businesses, and his legal expenses. In the run up to the 2016 Iowa Caucus, the suit describes emails where campaign staffers co-opted the charity to write checks to organizations that would help him politically.
John Bradley, who teaches nonprofit law at the University of Pennsylvania, said, “The motive for doing it is to avoid paying personal taxes. You can take advantage the charitable tax deduction, and you can avoid paying taxes on the interest that’s accrued.”
New York’s lawsuit aims to dissolve Trump’s charity and to bar him and his family from serving on any other New York charity. In tweets, Trump mocked the lawsuit.
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!...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 14, 2018
....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.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 14, 2018
