Page 4 - AT

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 8 November 2019
Judge fines Trump $2M for misusing charity foundation

By MICHAEL R. SISAK The Trump Foundation said
Associated Press it was pleased by those de-
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge cisions, claiming that the
Thursday ordered President judge "recognized that ev-
Donald Trump to pay $2 ery penny ever raised by
million to an array of chari- the Trump Foundation has
ties as a fine for misusing his gone to help those most in
own charitable foundation need."
to further his political and Trump Foundation law-
business interests. yer Alan Futerfas said the
New York state Judge Sali- nonprofit has distributed
ann Scarpulla imposed the approximately $19 million
penalty after the president over the past decade, in-
admitted to a series of cluding $8.25 million of the
abuses that were outlined president's own money, to
in a lawsuit brought against hundreds of charitable or-
him last year by the New ganizations.
York attorney general's of- At the time of the Iowa
fice. fundraiser, Trump was feud-
Among other things, Trump ing with then-Fox News
acknowledged he im- anchor Megyn Kelly and
properly allowed his presi- refusing to participate in
dential campaign staff to In this Nov. 6, 2019, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the the network's final Repub-
coordinate with the Trump Monroe Civic Center in Monroe, La. lican presidential primary
Foundation in holding a Associated Press debate before the Iowa
fundraiser for veterans dur- attorney general's office. case!" when it was filed in "major victory in our efforts caucuses. Instead, he held
ing the run-up to the 2016 As part of those agree- June 2018. to protect charitable as- a rally at the same time as
Iowa caucuses. The event ments , made public Thurs- Trump's fine and the char- sets and hold accountable the debate at which he
was designed "to further day, the two sides left it ity's funds will be split evenly those who would abuse called on people to do-
Mr. Trump's political cam- up to the judge to decide among eight organizations, charities for personal gain." nate to veterans' charities.
paign," Scarpulla said. what penalty Trump should including Citymeals on "No one is above the law The foundation acted as a
The foundation will be dis- pay. The settlement was Wheels, the United Negro — not a businessman, not pass-through for those con-
solved and its $1.7 million in an about-face for Trump. College Fund and the U.S. a candidate for office, tributions.
remaining funds will be giv- He and his lawyers have Holocaust Memorial Mu- and not even the President James said the evidence
en to other nonprofits, un- blasted the lawsuit as po- seum. Attorney General Le- of the United States," said of banned coordination
der agreements reached litically motivated, and he titia James welcomed the James, a Democrat. between campaign offi-
by Trump's lawyers and the tweeted, "I won't settle this resolution of the case as a The president admitted, cials and the foundation in-
among other things, to im- cluded emails exchanged
properly arranging for the with then-Trump campaign
charity to pay $10,000 for manager Corey Lewan-
a 6-foot portrait of him. He dowski.
also agreed to pay back In one email, a Trump com-
$11,525 in foundation funds pany vice president asked
that he spent on sports Lewandowski for guidance
memorabilia and cham- on precisely how to distrib-
pagne at a charity gala. ute the money raised.
Trump also accepted re- Trump also admitted in the
strictions on his involve- agreements to directing
ment in other charitable that $100,000 in foundation
organizations. His three money be used to settle le-
eldest children, who were gal claims over an 80-foot
members of the founda- flagpole he had built at his
tion's board, must undergo Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm
mandatory training on the Beach, Florida, instead of
duties of those who run paying the expense out of
charities. his own pocket.
Charities are barred from In addition, the foundation
getting involved in political paid $158,000 to resolve a
campaigns, but in weigh- lawsuit over a prize for a
ing the Iowa fundraiser, hole-in-one contest at a
Scarpulla gave Trump Trump-owned golf course,
credit for making good on and $5,000 for ads promot-
his pledge to give $2.8 mil- ing Trump's hotels in the
lion that his charity raised programs for charitable
to veterans' organizations. events. Trump admitted
Instead of fining him that these transactions were
amount, as the attorney also improper.
general's office wanted, As part of the settlement,
the judge trimmed it to $2 Donald Trump Jr. reim-
million and rejected a de- bursed the Trump Foun-
mand for punitive damag- dation for the cost of the
es and interest. portrait.q