New York attorney general opens investigation of Trump Foundation

On Tuesday, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) announced that an investigation has been opened into whether the Donald J. Trump Foundation is "complying with the laws governing charities in New York."

The foundation was started by Trump in 1988 to give away proceeds from his book The Art of the Deal. "My interest in this issue really is in my capacity as regulator of nonprofits in New York State," Schneiderman told CNN's Jake Tapper. "And we have been concerned that the Trump Foundation may have engaged in some impropriety from that point of view. And we've inquired into it and we've had correspondence with them. I didn't make a big deal out of it or hold a press conference."

Earlier this month, The Washington Post published a story saying tax records show Trump has not made a donation to the foundation since 2008, and he paid a $2,500 penalty to the IRS for making a political donation to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) in 2013 through the foundation. In 2013, Schneiderman filed a fraud lawsuit against Trump University.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up