Earlier this week, the story broke in Forbes Magazine that Eric Trump’s Eric Trump Foundation may have been guilty of funneling money from charity golf tournaments back into the Trump Organization.
Basically, Eric Trump had once boasted of the money being saved by hosting the tournaments at his family facilities. His dad, Donald Trump, reportedly blew a gasket and the costs of holding the tournaments grew into the hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.
Later, it was learned that some of the funds raised from these tournaments was being redirected to other charities, usually with some interest tied to Trump or Trump associates.
The story has apparently come to the attention of New York’s Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman.
From POLITICO:
“I can confirm that our office is looking into issues at the Eric Trump Foundation raised by the Forbes report,” said Eric Soufer, the attorney general’s director of communications.
Forbes reported this week that it appears the Eric Trump Foundation shifted some money from a benefit for children with cancer at St. Jude’s Hospital into the Trump Organization, a move that could run afoul of prohibitions against self-dealing on the part of charities.
This isn’t Schneiderman’s first rodeo with a Trump.
In 2013, Schneiderman sued Donald Trump for running a fraudulent business “school,” Trump University. Trump settled that case in late 2016 for $25 million.
Amanda Miller, spokeswoman for the Eric Trump Foundation, responded to the report of Schneiderman’s office becoming involved:
“During the past decade, the Eric Trump Foundation has raised over $16.3 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, including more than $3.6 million to St. Jude and other worthwhile causes just in 2016 alone,” Miller said in a statement. “The Foundation intends to cooperate fully with the Attorney General’s review, and looks forward to a productive and open dialogue with the Attorney General’s Office to address any questions it may have.”
The Foundation continues to deny that the Trump Organization benefited in any way from the charity.
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