Attorney General Barbara Underwood has filed a civil lawsuit against Donald Trump, his family, and their not-for-profit charitable organization for an improper coordination of funds.
The legal dispute, which was filed in Manhattan state Supreme Court and coincides with Trump's 72nd birthday, alleges that donations were used to help pay for the president's political, personal, and business dealings.
"As our investigation reveals, the Trump Foundation was little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality," Underwood notes. "This is not how private foundations should function and my office intends to hold the Foundation and its directors accountable for its misuse of charitable assets."
Trump took to Twitter to denounce the bombshell allegations, which he believes was influenced by Underwood's predecessor, Eric Schneiderman. "The sleazy New York Democrats, and their now disgraced (and run out of town) A.G. Eric Schneiderman, are doing everything they can to sue me on a foundation that took in $18,800,000 and gave out to charity more money than it took in, $19,200,000. I won’t settle this case!"
Trump continues to admit that "Schneiderman, who ran the Clinton campaign in New York, never had the guts to bring this ridiculous case, which lingered in their office for almost 2 years. Now he resigned his office in disgrace, and his disciples brought it when we would not settle."
The lawsuit is the result of an investigation that began in June 2016. It declares that the Donald J. Trump Foundation raised nearly $2.8 million that was directly used by the current POTUS' campaign officials to help influence his victorious 2016 election. "The Foundation’s grants made Mr. Trump and the Campaign look charitable and increased the candidate’s profile to Republican primary voters and among important constituent groups."
As a result, the lawsuit seeks $2.8 million in restitution, while barring Trump from being involved with any charities based in New York for 10 years; his family could be similarly prohibited from being associated with philanthropic endeavours for one year.