New York sues Trump over 'persistently illegal conduct' at his nonprofit Donald J. Trump foundation

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The New York attorney general has filed a lawsuit against President Trump and three of his children over what she says was "persistently illegal conduct" at the nonprofit Donald J. Trump Foundation, The Washington Post reports. The state's investigation, which stemmed from the Post's 2016 reporting on the charity, found that the Trump family allegedly violated a law that requires tax-exempt foundations to benefit the public good rather than the founders privately. Trump allegedly used the Donald J. Trump Foundation to pay off creditors, settle legal disputes for his businesses, and, in one case, buy a $10,000 portrait of himself.

"As our investigation reveals, the Trump foundation was little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality," said New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, who replaced the disgraced Eric Schneiderman last month.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.