NY Probe Underway Into Donald Trump Foundation; Democrats Call For Federal Criminal Investigation

Top Democrats on Tuesday called for a federal criminal investigation into the Trump Foundation, and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said his office has "inquired into" whether Donald Trump's charitable organization is following New York laws that govern non-profits.

Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee wrote to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, asking her to investigate the foundation's $25,000 gift in 2013 to a PAC backing Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. That gift was given as Bondi's office was deciding whether to bring charges against Trump University.

No charges were filed.

“This fact pattern indicates that these payments may have influenced Mrs. Bondi’s official decision not to participate in litigation against Mr. Trump,” the letter said, according to multiple news outlets. “A number of criminal statutes would appear to be implicated by this course of conduct."

The Trump Foundation paid a $2,500 penalty to the IRS for the gift.

The letter also came as more questions were raised about Trump's foundation over the weekend in a Washington Post story. The story — authored by David A. Fahrenthold, who has done extensive reporting on Trump's charitable giving — said Trump once used foundation money to buy a 6-foot-tall painting of himself and a signed Tim Tebow helmet.

Trump has not given any of his own money to the charity since 2008, the Post reported, citing tax filings.

Appearing on CNN Tuesday afternoon, Schneiderman, the New York attorney general, said his office has been "looking into" the foundation.

“My interest in this issue really is in my capacity as regulator of non-profits in New York state. And we have been concerned that the Trump Foundation may have engaged in some impropriety from that point of view,” Schneiderman, a Democrat and Hillary Clinton delegate, told CNN's Jake Tapper. “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.

"We have been looking into the Trump Foundation to make sure it's complying with the laws governing charities in New York.”

The Republican nominee's campaign was quick to write off the probe as partisan politics.

“Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is a partisan hack who has turned a blind eye to the Clinton Foundation for years and has endorsed Hillary Clinton for President," said Trump communications adviser Jason Miller, according to The Washington Post. "This is nothing more than another left-wing hit job designed to distract from Crooked Hillary Clinton’s disastrous week.”

Patch has reached out to the office for more information, and we'll let you know if we hear back.

Image via Gage Skidmore, Flickr, used under Creative Commons