Donald J. Trump Foundation
Trump's foundation is a privately funded entity that grants money to other tax-exempt organizations. Most of the money comes from outside sources, not the Trump family, which runs the foundation.
The foundation came under scrutiny in 2016 after a Washington Post investigation found Trump had used some charity money to settle lawsuits related to his for-profit businesses, which is called "self dealing," and is barred under IRS rules. The foundation was also fined for making political contributions.Trump promised in December 2016 to shut down the foundation to avoid conflicts of interest while in office. (Source: The Washington Post.) He can't make good on that promise until the New York State Attorney General's office completes its ongoing investigation into the foundation's practices.
Timeline
| 2007 | Donald Trump spends $20,000 that belonged to his charity to buy a six-foot-tall portrait of himself during a fundraiser auction at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. washingtonpost.com |
| 2012 | The foundation pays $12,000 so Trump can buy himself a Tim Tebow-signed football helmet at a Susan G. Komen fundraiser. washingtonpost.com |
| 2016.09.14 | New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is investigating the Trump Foundation over suspected improper political donation. bbc.com (See also Conflicts of Interest, Trump University) |
| 2016.10.03 | New York's attorney general issues a “notice of violation” to Trump’s foundation, ordering it to immediately stop soliciting charitable donations in the state for being fraudulent. mobile.nytimes.com |
| 2016.11.22 | Trump’s charitable foundation admits to the IRS that it violated a legal prohibition against “self-dealing,” which bars nonprofit leaders from using their charity’s money to help themselves, their businesses or their families. washingtonpost.com |
| 2016.12.24 | Trump says that he'll shut down his embattled foundation, after months of scrutiny over how it collects and distributes funds. washingtonpost.com It is not clear when the foundation can dissolve, given an ongoing investigation in New York. |