The swirl of scandal around Donald Trumps donation to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is intensifying, with the Republican nominee and his aides vigorously pushing back against the idea that he bought the decision by Bondi to not pursue an investigation into his Trump University.
The controversy whipped back up last week when news emerged that Trump paid a $2,500 fine because his foundation improperly donated $25,000 to Bondis political election committee in 2013 (tax-exempt charitable groups are not allowed to make political contributions).
Following the donation in 2013, Bondis office declined to join a fledgling multi-state probe into Trumps real estate seminar program. The links between the two continued, with Trump hosting a lavish fundraiser for Bondi at his Mar-a-Lago resort in March 2014, and Bondi endorsing Trump in March of this year.
While Trump and Bondi say theres no fire underneath the smoke, the Manhattan businessmans political wheelings and dealings are now drawing more scrutiny, especially because Trumps campaign has been driving hard at the idea that Hillary Clinton engaged in pay for play through her Clinton Foundation and her tenure at the State Department.
Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday morning brushed aside questioning from George Stephanopoulos on ABCs Good Morning America, remarking that Trump has supported many, many Republican candidates while suggesting that the two stories are not comparable in scale or consequence.