(Matt Wuerker, Politico)
Following a report in Forbes magazine, this story broke yesterday:
The New York attorney general is looking into a Forbes magazine report that Eric Trump’s charity spent large sums hosting fundraisers at Trump resorts after telling donors their money would go directly to research childhood cancer.
Forbes reported that as much as $1.2 million raised by the Eric Trump Foundation to fight children’s cancer was paid to Trump Organization properties over the last seven years, primarily for an annual event at the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester County, New York. Eric Trump told donors all contributions would go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and that the fundraising events were staged at Trump properties for free, Forbes reported.
“We get to use our assets 100 percent free of charge,” Eric Trump told Forbes in the report, published online Thursday.
“That’s not the case,” declared the Forbes article, which reported that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been paid to the Trump golf course at what experts said was inflated fees. An additional $500,000 in contributions have been “re-gifted” to other charities that were either linked to Trump family members or went to pay for other events at Trump properties, according to Forbes.
Charities cannot legally funnel tax-free donations to benefit for-profit companies.The original report indicated that it was family "don" Donald "Rump" Trump who specifically neutered the pro bono use of Trump properties for the charitable activities. (If there's money changing hands, someone in the Trump crime family is getting a piece of it, of that you can be sure.) This is not a one- off, as they've been caught diverting charitable contributions for needy children before. So, it's fair to say that grifting to them is as natural as breathing, and for this family of weasels, nothing -- not charity, not party, and certainly not country -- comes before enriching themselves.
Recall also that oily Eric Trump is the dim scion who helpfully noted how much Russian money had been invested in Trump golf courses. No doubt that helpful tip will ensure the Special Counsel will also be following the money trail right up Eric's kazoo.
And yes, we know this will make zero impression on the knuckle-dragging base of Rump supporters. The bar can never be set low enough for them.
BONUS: Also, Emoluments Clause be damned!
