# Donald J. Trump Foundation to be dissolved **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 25, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583 "2016-12-25T02:15:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/1 "2016-12-25T02:15:50Z")
…while it is under investigation. Except you can’t do that. Oh, and Mr. Trump lied about the Foundation’s charitable giving. [ > [@](#): > > President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday he will dissolve his charitable foundation amid efforts to eliminate any conflicts of interest before he takes office next month. > > The revelation comes as the New York attorney general’s office investigates the foundation following media reports that foundation spending went to benefit Trump’s campaign. > > Trump said in a statement that he has directed his counsel to take the necessary steps to implement the dissolution of the Donald J. Trump Foundation, saying that it operated “at essentially no cost for decades, with 100 percent of the money going to charity.” ]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_TRUMP\_FLOL-?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-12-24-20-00-48](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TRUMP_FLOL-?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-12-24-20-00-48))Except we already know that the “100 percent of the money going to charity” line isn’t true: > [@](#): > > A 2015 tax return posted on the nonprofit monitoring website GuideStar shows the Donald J. Trump Foundation acknowledged that it used money or assets in violation of IRS regulations - not only during 2015, but in prior years. > > Those regulations prohibit self-dealing by the charity. That’s broadly defined as using its money or assets to benefit Trump, his family, his companies or substantial contributors to the foundation. For one thing, we know that the Foundation wrote a check to former Florida AG Pam Bondi: > [@](#): > > Documents obtained by The Associated Press in September showed Schneiderman’s scrutiny of The Donald J. Trump Foundation dated back to at least June, when his office formally questioned the donation made by the charity to a group supporting Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. > > Bondi personally solicited the money during a 2013 phone call that came after her office received complaints from former students claiming they were scammed by Trump University, Trump’s get-rich-quick real estate seminars. > > The Trump Foundation check arrived just days after Bondi’s office told a newspaper it was reviewing a lawsuit against Trump University filed by Schneiderman. Bondi’s office never sued Trump, though she denies his donation played any role in that decision. > > Trump later paid a $2,500 fine over the check from his foundation because it violated federal law barring charities from making political contributions. There is also some info that the Foundation spent money on things for Mr. Trump, such as football memorabilia and portrait paintings. Oh, and about that investigation… > [@](#): > > Amy Spitalnick, press secretary for Schneiderman’s office, said Saturday that the foundation “cannot legally dissolve” until the investigation is complete. Anyway, just thought I’d mention this development here so we can keep tabs on it. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/2 "2016-12-25T14:36:08Z")
Don’t forget Trump ‘University’ and various other scams run by this conman. He has also avoided paying taxes for many years, and refuses to release his tax returns, no doubt because of other scams revealed in them If Hilary had ever done even a tiny fraction of what Trump has done, the Republicans would be foaming at the mouth and punching the walls. But they just quietly ignore Trump’s shady dealings. So much for morality. America has now got government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, for the billionaires. It may take a while for Trump’s more gullible supporters to realize they have been conned. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/3 "2016-12-25T14:37:51Z")
Guess there’s a limit as to how many criminal enterprises he can run at once. This is actually the sole bit of good news about the transition so far, I just hope it does not take the investigators off the trail and that perhaps someday this con man gets fitted for an orange jump suit. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/4 "2016-12-25T15:18:58Z")
And, of course, this news comes out over Christmas weekend where it will get buried. Plus, most journalists are off this week and the news will be dominated with feel good stories and year in review recaps Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/5 "2016-12-25T16:08:25Z")
He’s just [eliminating his liabilities](https://youtu.be/x7hgPwyQUTc). Stranger ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/6 "2016-12-25T16:13:32Z")
Thank you for such a heart warming Christmas montage! May the Grinch be with you! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/7 "2016-12-25T16:40:21Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Thank you for such a heart warming Christmas montage! May the Grinch be with you! It warmed MY heart! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/8 "2016-12-25T17:04:00Z")
> [@](#): > > President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday he will dissolve his charitable foundation amid efforts to eliminate any conflicts of interest before he takes office next month. Donald, conflicts of interest are what happens when people give you money, not when you give money away. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/9 "2016-12-25T17:43:30Z")
Wait. “Give money away”? What do you mean, “give money away”? Like, you have it, its yours, and you just hand it over to somebody else? Why would anyone _do_ a thing like that? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/10 "2016-12-25T17:47:48Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Thank you for such a heart warming Christmas montage! May the Grinch be with you! It’s all part of the service. The question remains, however, which form of elimination Trump favors when dealing with failure? Remember, [“When the President does it, that means it is not illegal.”](http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/When-the-president-does-it-that-means-it-is-not-illegal.html) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/11 "2016-12-25T17:49:31Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Thank you for such a heart warming Christmas montage! May the Grinch be with you! …not until January 19th… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/12 "2016-12-25T17:58:58Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Donald, conflicts of interest are what happens when people give you money, not when you give money away. Not to mention that the Trump Foundation rarely gave any money away for anything that didn’t involve settling lawsuits or buying gaudy portraits. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/13 "2016-12-25T18:18:25Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Not to mention that the Trump Foundation rarely gave any money away for anything that didn’t involve settling lawsuits or buying gaudy portraits. The good news is that no sick, homeless, starving, disadvantaged adults, children, or pets will be harmed by the dissolution of the Trump Foundation. In fact, it won’t make one bit of difference in the charitable, nonprofit world. ETA. The other upside to this is that it proves Donald WILL respond to massive public pressure. So keep the pressure on! Relentlessly. For four years. (And please don’t say that public pressure had nothing to do with it. Donald can’t bear the thought that he isn’t loved by everyone.) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/14 "2016-12-25T19:39:23Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > …while it is under investigation. Except you can’t do that. Is the investigation politically motivated? If so, then I expect it will quickly disappear. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/15 "2016-12-25T19:49:39Z")
It seems to have more to do with Trump’s desire to kill the story about a donation from the Trump Foundation to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi before she elected not to pursue an investigation of the now-defunct Trump University. [Fortune: “Why Trump’s Pam Bondi Scandal Isn’t Going Away”](http://fortune.com/2016/09/12/trump-foundation-bondi-florida-ag/) [_New York Times_: “New Records Shed Light on Donald Trump’s $25,000 Gift to Florida Official”](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/us/politics/pam-bondi-donald-trump-foundation.html) [_The Washington Post_: “Trump pays IRS a penalty for his foundation violating rules with gift to aid Florida attorney general”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/01/trump-pays-irs-a-penalty-for-his-foundation-violating-rules-with-gift-to-florida-attorney-general/?utm_term=.902f016aa9c6) [_Politico_: “Donald Trump, Pam Bondi and $25K: Was it pay to play?”](http://www.politifact.com/florida/article/2016/sep/21/donald-trump-pam-bondi-and-25k-was-it-pay-play/) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/16 "2016-12-25T20:03:54Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Is the investigation politically motivated? If so, then I expect it will quickly disappear. Why would you think that? It wasn’t the case with Bengazi. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/17 "2016-12-25T20:21:52Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Why would you think that? It wasn’t the case with Bengazi. Because the election is over. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/18 "2016-12-25T20:23:14Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Why would you think that? It wasn’t the case with Bengazi. The House GOP quietly wrapped up their last (eighth?) Benghazi committee right on schedule, right after the election. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/19 "2016-12-25T20:23:15Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Because the election is over. Nixon also thought the same. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583/20 "2016-12-25T20:28:38Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Because the election is over. Not 2020. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-j-trump-foundation-to-be-dissolved/775583.md?page=2)