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Trump plans to shut down charitable foundation

 
In a statement Saturday, Trump offered no timeline for when his foundation would close down, but he said he had directed his attorney to take the steps needed to close the charity. [Associated Press]
In a statement Saturday, Trump offered no timeline for when his foundation would close down, but he said he had directed his attorney to take the steps needed to close the charity. [Associated Press]
Published Dec. 25, 2016

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to shut down his charitable foundation, a decision that comes after repeated controversies over how it collected and disbursed funds.

In a statement Saturday, Trump offered no timeline for when his foundation would close down, but he said he had directed his attorney to take the steps needed to close the charity. It was also not immediately clear when the foundation would be able to dissolve, given an ongoing investigation in New York.

"The Foundation has done enormous good works over the years in contributing millions of dollars to countless worthy groups, including supporting veterans, law enforcement officers and children," Trump said in the statement. "However, to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as President I have decided to continue to pursue my strong interest in philanthropy in other ways."

The Donald J. Trump Foundation has come under intense scrutiny this year after a series of reports in the Washington Post detailing its practices, including cases in which Trump apparently used the charity's money to settle lawsuits involving his for-profit businesses.

New York's attorney general has been investigating the charity after some of these reports, and a spokeswoman for that office said the foundation could not officially shut down until that probe is over.

"The Trump Foundation is still under investigation by this office and cannot legally dissolve until that investigation is complete," Amy Spitalnick, the spokeswoman, said Saturday in an email.

The foundation is unusual in that it largely collects and donates money from other people. In fact, from 2009 to 2014, Trump told the Internal Revenue Service that he had given his namesake foundation no money at all. The biggest donors in recent years were Vince and Linda McMahon, the pro-wrestling magnates, who gave the Trump Foundation $5 million between 2007 and 2009. Trump recently nominated Linda McMahon to head the Small Business Administration.

Trump said Saturday that he was "very proud of the fact that the Foundation has operated at essentially no cost for decades, with 100% of the money going to charity." The Trump Foundation has no paid employees and a board of five, consisting of Trump, three of his children and a longtime Trump Organization employee. They all work a half-hour per week, according to an IRS filing.

The president-elect added that "because I will be devoting so much time and energy to the Presidency and solving the many problems facing our country and the world, I don't want to allow good work to be associated with a possible conflict of interest."

The foundation told the IRS that it had $1.16 million in total assets by the end of 2015, the most recent tax filing available. A spokeswoman for Trump said she had no additional information Saturday regarding where any remaining money might be sent.

Trump's foundation has admitted in IRS tax filings for 2015 that it violated a prohibition against "self-dealing" that says nonprofit leaders cannot use their charity's funds to help themselves, their relatives or their businesses.

Trump's charity has been prohibited from fundraising by the office of Democratic New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, an action that came after the Post reported that the foundation had failed to register with the state. This meant the foundation had dodged annual audits required in the state of New York.

Schneiderman's office is also investigating the Trump Foundation after reports in the Post describing apparent cases of self-dealing that date back to 2007. The Trump Foundation spent $30,000 to buy two large portraits of Trump himself, including one that was hung in the sports bar at a Trump-owned resort. Trump also appears to use $258,000 of his foundation's money — legally earmarked for charitable purposes — to settle lawsuits involving two of his for-profit clubs.

In addition, the Trump Foundation gave a $25,000 gift to a campaign committee backing Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi even though nonprofit organizations such as the charity are not allowed to give political gifts. That gift was made as Bondi's office was considering whether to investigate fraud allegations against Trump University. A consultant who worked on Bondi's re-election effort has said that Bondi was not aware of the complaints when she solicited the donation from Trump. Ultimately, Bondi's office did not pursue those allegations.

• • •

Miller not joining White House staff

Jason Miller, who was named as White House communications director by President-elect Donald J. Trump two days ago, has informed Trump that he will not take the job, according to a statement from Miller.

In the statement, Miller said he wanted to spend more time with his family. His wife is expecting their second child in January, he said. "It's clear they need to be my top priority right now, and this is not the time to start a new job as demanding as White House communications director," Miller wrote. A veteran of several Republican campaigns, Miller was an avid supporter of Trump, appearing regularly on television on his behalf throughout the campaign. He had been a principal spokesman during the transition period. In the statement, Miller said that Sean Spicer, who was recently named press secretary, would serve as communications director, as well.

New York Times