Donald J. Trump’s Foundation informed New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman that it has ceased soliciting donations in the State, after a recent order to halt such fund-raising efforts, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s office said on Monday.
The charity, the Donald J. Trump Foundation, also requested and was granted an extension for filing its financial paperwork, including audits, said Eric Soufer, the spokesman.
The developments come about two weeks after the Attorney General’s office ordered the Foundation to stop soliciting charitable contributions in the State of New York, saying that the nonprofit was not properly registered to do so under State law.
A “notice of violation” letter sent to the Foundation on Sept. 30th required it to submit financial documents within 15 days, or “be deemed to be a continuing fraud upon the people of the state of New York.”
The Foundation has become a source of controversy during Mr. Trump’s Presidential Campaign amid reports about questionable expenditures, doubts about whether he followed through on charitable pledges and his own lack of financial support for the charity.
“The Trump Foundation is cooperating with the office of the N.Y. A.G. in its investigation of the foundation and, given the scope of the N.Y. A.G.’s requests, is working with the N.Y. A.G. to respond in a reasonable and timely manner,” said Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump’s Campaign.
Trump’s Campaign has dismissed the criticism of the Foundation, saying he has provided ample support to worthy causes over the years, both through the charity and directly.
But after further investigation, many of Trump's pledges never resulted in a donation.
Trump stopped funding the Foundation in 2008. Since then he has been using other donations to the Foundation to pay for legal fees, political donations, charity gifts, and personal items. Another investigation is having income deposited into the Foundation as a donation to forego paying income tax.
Ms. Hicks has previously said he is concerned about the “political motives” behind the Attorney General’s investigation. Mr. Schneiderman, a Democrat and supporter of Mrs. Clinton, has tangled with Mr. Trump over other matters, including his high-profile lawsuit alleging that students were defrauded out of thousands of dollars at Trump’s for-profit education program, Trump University.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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