Donald Trump has agreed to shut down his charity, amid a lawsuit alleging “a shocking pattern of illegality” at the organization.
New York attorney general Barbara Underwood announced the shut down of the Trump Foundation on Tuesday, December 18, 2018. Underwood is bringing a lawsuit against the organization, seeking millions of dollars in repayments.
Underwood alleges Trump used his foundation for personal benefit, including aiding his presidential campaign.
“Our petition detailed a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation – including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more. This amounted to the Trump Foundation functioning as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trump’s business and political interests,” Underwood said.
“Today’s stipulation accomplishes a key piece of the relief sought in our lawsuit earlier this year. Under the terms, the Trump Foundation can only dissolve under judicial supervision – and it can only distribute its remaining charitable assets to reputable organizations approved by my office.
“This is an important victory for the rule of law, making clear that there is one set of rules for everyone. We’ll continue to move our suit forward to ensure that the Trump Foundation and its directors are held to account for their clear and repeated violations of state and federal law.”
Read more at The Guardian.
