Trump Foundation Violated Tax Laws, Paid IRS Penalty

[Wiz in Wis]

Did he write off donations to his own foundation like another candidate in the race?

We don't know... he won't release his tax returns. I'm sure you're very upset about that aren't you.

[ProudModerate2]

Did he write off donations to his own foundation like another candidate in the race?

We don't know... he won't release his tax returns. I'm sure you're very upset about that aren't you.

Did trump release his taxes, like every other presidential candidate in recent history ?

[elcorazon]

Did he write off donations to his own foundation like another candidate in the race?

I don't believe he made any donations to his own foundation. It's just an opportunity for him to put his name onto something else.

[Taco Truck 🚚]

I wonder if we are gonna ever discuss Trump's business being in debt to foreign countries, like is that not conflict of interesting? how will that impact his decisions as president?

The double standard marches on.  Trump is the absolutely shadiest character that has every run for president on a major ticket in my lifetime.

Shame on the media for harping on and on about emails while completely ignoring the millions of dollars this guy owes China.

Trump has stated that he will not put his billions of dealings in a blind trust while president.  I honestly can't think of a single thing Clinton could do that would be as corrupt as what Trump is proposing.

[The Other Castro]

Today's email news in comparison with this story really puts into context the absurdity of the situation. If Clinton had used her foundation to bribe someone into not investigating a scam she was running, she wouldn't even be in the race right now.

[SirMuxALot]

Did the IRS establish there was intent to break the law?  If not, why not?

[‼realJohnEwards‼]

is anyone at all surprised by this?

[Simfan34]

This is far worse than anything discovered so far with the Clinton Foundation. Not only is it straight up bribery to have charges dropped, it involved a charitable foundation making a political contribution. How is this not criminal? I'd expect this could be prosecuted.

[KingSweden]

This is far worse than anything discovered so far with the Clinton Foundation. Not only is it straight up bribery to have charges dropped, it involved a charitable foundation making a political contribution. How is this not criminal? I'd expect this could be prosecuted.

[Erich Maria Remarque]

[Rand]

Did he write off donations to his own foundation like another candidate in the race?

We don't know... he won't release his tax returns. I'm sure you're very upset about that aren't you.

Did trump release his taxes, like every other presidential candidate in recent history ?

[The Other Castro]

I built a rough two-part timeline to help explain this situation:

2013:
-Florida AG Pam Bondi considers investigation of fraud at Trump University
-Donald J. Trump Foundation donates $25,000 to campaign group "And Justice for All" backing Pam Bondi's reelection four days after Bondi's office publicly announced she was considering joining a New York state probe of Trump University's activities.
-Trump Foundation does not notify the IRS of this political donation.
-Trump's foundation instead lists a nonexistant $25,000 donation to a Kansas charity with a name similar to that of Bondi's political group (named "Justice for All").
-Pam Bondi declines to pursue the case.

2016:
-The Washington Post and watchdog groups raise questions about the donation
-Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (watchdog group) files complaint with IRS noting that, as a registered nonprofit, the Trump Foundation was not allowed to make political donations.
-The Washington Post reports the Kansas error that had the effect of obscuring the political gift from the IRS.
-Trump's business said it was unaware of any of these mistakes until March, when it heard from the watchdog group and The Washington Post.
-Trump filed paperwork informing the IRS of the political gift and paid an excise tax equal to 10 percent of its value ($2500).
-Jeffrey McConney — senior vice president and controller at the Trump Organization, said Trump had also personally reimbursed the Trump Foundation for $25,000
-AP publishes its findings on June 6th
-Washington Post publishes its findings on September 1st

Where is the investigation? Where is the 24/7 yearlong coverage? Nowhere.

[dspNY]

This story is now picking up big steam on Twitter because of the way the media is conducting a witch hunt on Clinton. Hopefully it gets Trump U back in the news with the added effect of attacking a corrupt attorney general in the biggest swing state

[Maxwell]

literally if any other candidate did this it would be wall to wall news for weeks.

i mean the Clinton Foundation gets wall to wall coverage for the SUGGESTION of this.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Literally the AP has worse bias than state-run media.

[JerryArkansas]

So where are all the Blue Avatars at.  Why not call for a special investigation.  One happens whenever clinton breathes, why not here?

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Wait, are you people actually surprised that there is a double standard...? Maybe some of you are new to supporting Hillary Clinton, lol.

I watched CNN for a couple hours yesterday. No mention of this story whatsoever.

[Wells]

Clinton was completely exonerated by the FBI report, but let's count how many cell phones she had again, shall we? It's obviously way more important than actual corruption in Trump's agency, of course.

[Hermit For Peace]

As American as apple pie is "Hillary bashing". It's become the standard fare for everything Hillary does, thinks, says, believes.....and not just for the media but for the Average American on the street.

Hillary bashing has become part of our second language.

Trump, on the other hand, is GOLD for the ratings he brings to the networks for all the sh*t he vomits. Trump is a sacred American cash cow.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

I built a rough two-part timeline to help explain this situation:

2013:
-Florida AG Pam Bondi considers investigation of fraud at Trump University
-Donald J. Trump Foundation donates $25,000 to campaign group "And Justice for All" backing Pam Bondi's reelection four days after Bondi's office publicly announced she was considering joining a New York state probe of Trump University's activities.
-Trump Foundation does not notify the IRS of this political donation.
-Trump's foundation instead lists a nonexistant $25,000 donation to a Kansas charity with a name similar to that of Bondi's political group (named "Justice for All").
-Pam Bondi declines to pursue the case.

2016:
-The Washington Post and watchdog groups raise questions about the donation
-Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (watchdog group) files complaint with IRS noting that, as a registered nonprofit, the Trump Foundation was not allowed to make political donations.
-The Washington Post reports the Kansas error that had the effect of obscuring the political gift from the IRS.
-Trump's business said it was unaware of any of these mistakes until March, when it heard from the watchdog group and The Washington Post.
-Trump filed paperwork informing the IRS of the political gift and paid an excise tax equal to 10 percent of its value ($2500).
-Jeffrey McConney — senior vice president and controller at the Trump Organization, said Trump had also personally reimbursed the Trump Foundation for $25,000
-AP publishes its findings on June 6th
-Washington Post publishes its findings on September 1st

Where is the investigation? Where is the 24/7 yearlong coverage? Nowhere.

TrumpMiller's campaign is already a wrecked semi full of diseased swine on the side of the highway, baking in the sun. Setting it on fire would prevent the media from keeping up their thread-bare and profitable pretense that its still in the race. So it won't happen.

[SirMuxALot]

Or perhaps the media understands that this will be another example of the law and consequences only applying to Republicans.  And probably best not promoted too prominently.

Trump Foundation gets the hammer brought down on a legally permissible, but not legally tax-deductible $25,000 donation.  Maximum consequences applied.  Which is the way it ought to be.

No such similar aggressive investigation and prosecution of multiple felonies of actual criminal law (not tax code) connected to national security on the other side.  No consequences whatsoever.

That's a contrast that doesn't look too good.  Best for the media to leave the implication hanging out there that Trump also does felony-level stuff but also skates.  This IRS ruling doesn't fit that moral equivalence narrative.

[‼realJohnEwards‼]

Or perhaps the media understands that this will be another example of the law and consequences only applying to Republicans.  And probably best not promoted too prominently.

Trump Foundation gets the hammer brought down on a legally permissible, but not legally tax-deductible $25,000 donation.  Maximum consequences applied.  Which is the way it ought to be.

No such similar aggressive investigation and prosecution of multiple felonies of actual criminal law (not tax code) connected to national security on the other side.  No consequences whatsoever.

That's a contrast that doesn't look too good.  Best for the media to leave the implication hanging out there that Trump also does felony-level stuff but also skates.  This IRS ruling doesn't fit that moral equivalence narrative.

Can you actually provide evidence for this claim? I'd think that the FBI had the final say on this... unless you think that your judgement is better than theirs. Besides, "no consequences whatsoever" is a somewhat disingenuous way of putting it- you don't think that "extremely careless" had political consequences (as it very well should have)? Besides, this ignores the fact that the "donation" was clearly a bribe (and I'd like to see you, or anyone, try to deny it) and that Trump tried to hide it, which was what got him into legal trouble in the first place.

[Hermit For Peace]

Or perhaps the media understands that this will be another example of the law and consequences only applying to Republicans.  And probably best not promoted too prominently.

Trump Foundation gets the hammer brought down on a legally permissible, but not legally tax-deductible $25,000 donation.  Maximum consequences applied.  Which is the way it ought to be.

No such similar aggressive investigation and prosecution of multiple felonies of actual criminal law (not tax code) connected to national security on the other side.  No consequences whatsoever.

That's a contrast that doesn't look too good.  Best for the media to leave the implication hanging out there that Trump also does felony-level stuff but also skates.  This IRS ruling doesn't fit that moral equivalence narrative.

Can you actually provide evidence for this claim? I'd think that the FBI had the final say on this... unless you think that your judgement is better than theirs. Besides, "no consequences whatsoever" is a somewhat disingenuous way of putting it- you don't think that "extremely careless" had political consequences (as it very well should have)? Besides, this ignores the fact that the "donation" was clearly a bribe (and I'd like to see you, or anyone, try to deny it) and that Trump tried to hide it, which was what got him into legal trouble in the first place.

The Republicans believe that Hillary has committed crimes and needs to go to trial for them (and be found guilty, of course). It's is the only way "justice" (as they see it) will be served. They have convicted her regardless of what the evidence concludes, and that's that. They just know that something is corrupt with the FBI and all those other committees that she had to face countless times because she is guilty as hell for whatever they think she is guilty of. And they will never let this go. Ever!

Their time would best be spent pursuing positive things that actually help the American public than continuing to waste precious time as they have been, but I guess helping the general public is not really important in the scheme of things?

[Wells]

This story is starting to be reported elsewhere.

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Could this slowly start to gain more coverage? It might be as big as the Clinton Foundation stories by election day if we're lucky.

Meanwhile, it turns out Trump has received millions of dollars worth of donations from a certain foreign country. This is. . . wait for it. . .

Saudi Arabia.

The irony is rich, even richer than Trump himself (though that isn't saying much).

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Any word from our resident Trump hacks? They've been strangely silent in this thread.

[Beet]

Trump is swimming in corruption.

Can you imagine if 44,000 of his e-mails plus his tax returns were made public? Clinton would be screwed because she would be running against Gary Johnson.