Support NeoGAF

[chadskin]

More precisely, his foundation violated tax laws. Tremendous story.

Donald Trump paid the IRS a $2,500 penalty this year, an official at Trump's company said, after it was revealed that Trump's charitable foundation had violated tax laws by giving a political contribution to a campaign group connected to Florida's attorney general.

The improper donation, a $25,000 gift from the Donald J. Trump Foundation, was made in 2013. At the time, Attorney General Pam Bondi was considering whether to investigate fraud allegations against Trump University. She decided not to pursue the case.

Earlier this year, The Washington Post and a liberal watchdog group raised new questions about the three-year-old gift. The watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, filed a complaint with the IRS — noting that, as a registered nonprofit, the Trump Foundation was not allowed to make political donations.

The Post reported another error, which had the effect of obscuring the political gift from the IRS.

In that year's tax filings, The Post reported, the Trump Foundation did not notify the IRS of this political donation. Instead, Trump's foundation listed a donation — also for $25,000 — to a Kansas charity with a name similar to that of Bondi's political group. In fact, Trump's foundation had not given the Kansas group any money.

The prohibited gift was, in effect, replaced with an innocent-sounding but nonexistent donation.

On Thursday, Jeffrey McConney — senior vice president and controller at the Trump Organization — said that after being notified, Trump filed paperwork informing the IRS of the political gift and paid an excise tax equal to 10 percent of its value.

McConney said that Trump had also personally reimbursed the Trump Foundation for $25,000, covering the full value of the improper gift. McConney blamed a series of mistakes, all of them unintentional. McConney said there had been no attempt to deceive.

"It was just an honest mistake," McConney said. He added: "It wasn’t done intentionally to hide a political donation, it was just an error."

McConney said that he believed Trump had now done everything necessary to rectify the error. "We’ve done what [we] were instructed to do," he said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-rules-with-gift-to-florida-attorney-general/

 

[McDougles]

Crooked Donald at it again!

 

[A Serious Man]

Was the bribe proposed via email? Cuz otherwise I'm cool with it.

 

[MIMIC]

A person charged with these types of violations should be fine AND shouldn't be allowed to seek any type of political office. This is is a serious breach of the public's trust and shows absolute disdain for the law.

And what the hell happened to Bondi?

EDIT: OMFG! I just realized that I almost interned with her this year X_X

 

[gotstrangepowers]

Trump also donated to the TX attorney general when Trump University began to be investigated in TX. After Trump's donation, the investigation was closed.

http://m.dailykos.com/story/2016/6/...n-both-Florida-and-Texas-to-drop-Trump-U-case

 

[The Technomancer]

Okay this is one that really genuinely pisses me off. We've spent forty fucking bajillion hours on Hillary's stupid emails. Why the fuck isn't this blowing up?

 

[rjinaz]

His wrist must be sore.

 

[commedieu]

'This is just the media trying to make a big deal outta nothing. It's pathetic actually.' - will be said.

 

[rambis]

But I was told rich people donating to charities never benefitted them.

 

[Fj0823]

Okay this is one that really genuinely pisses me off. We've spent forty fucking bajillion hours on Hillary's stupid emails. Why the fuck isn't this blowing up?

He's not a woman.

 

[atr0cious]

But I was told rich people donating to charities never benefitted them.

The kicker is Donald never actually made the donation. They pledged it, but never paid it.

In that year's tax filings, The Post reported, the Donald "My I.Q. is one of the highest" Trump Foundation did not notify the IRS of this political donation. Instead, Donald "My I.Q. is one of the highest" Trump's foundation listed a donation — also for $25,000 — to a Kansas charity with a name similar to that of Bondi's political group. In fact, Donald "My I.Q. is one of the highest" Trump's foundation had not given the Kansas group any money.

So literally, they bribed the Attorney General under the guise, not even the actual act, of donating.

 

[AxelFoley]

Okay this is one that really genuinely pisses me off. We've spent forty fucking bajillion hours on Hillary's stupid emails. Why the fuck isn't this blowing up?

Horse race, bruh. Horse race.

 

[MadLaughter]

The kicker is Donald never actually made the donation. They pledged it, but never paid it.



So literally, they bribed the Attorney General under the guise, not even the actual act, of donating.

Misreading it I think. He gave the AG 25k but the paperwork was made to look like he gave it to a Kansas group with a similar name so that if caught they could write it off as an error.

 

[atr0cious]

Misreading it I think. He gave the AG 25k but the paperwork was made to look like he gave it to a Kansas group with a similar name so that if caught they could write it off as an error.

Word, yea. And why is paying himself back money a good thing here?

McConney said that "I am the least racist person" Donald "Spread it out in small doses" Trump had also personally reimbursed the "I am the least racist person" Donald "Spread it out in small doses" Trump Foundation for $25,000, covering the full value of the improper gift. McConney blamed a series of mistakes, all of them unintentional. McConney said there had been no attempt to deceive.

Wouldn't this be an admission that he drove this decision in the first place?

 

[GaimeGuy]

Misreading it I think. He gave the AG 25k but the paperwork was made to look like he gave it to a Kansas group with a similar name so that if caught they could write it off as an error.

He bribed the AG illegally, then falsely told the IRS he donated to a different group, and is now claiming it was all a mistake.

Either he was trying to hide the deal, or, for some reason, donated to the wrong account. The latter would imply that instead of contacting a Kansas organization, he accidentally contacted the Florida AG, obtained the necessary account information, and made the donation, all without realizing he was speaking to people in the wrong organization in the wrong area codes.