Trump says he didn't speak with Florida AG Bondi about his foundation's $25K donation
Donald Trump on Monday said he never spoke with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi about his charitable foundation’s $25,000 donation to a political group with ties to Bondi.
The donation by the Donald J. Trump Foundation was made before Bondi considered whether to join New York state’s investigation of Trump University, the Washington Post reports. Bondi’s advisers have said she didn’t know about complaints against Trump University when she sought the donation, according to the story.
Trump responded to the controversy while campaigning in Ohio on Monday. “I never spoke to her, first of all. She’s a fine person, beyond reproach. I never even spoke to her about it at all. She’s a fine person. Never spoken to her about it, never,” he said. “Many of the attorney generals turned that case down because I’ll win that case in court. Many turned that down. I never spoke to her.”
The gift violated a rule that bars charities from contributing to political candidates, according to the story. Also, a report to the Internal Revenue Service mistakenly said the gift was to a different group with a similar name, “effectively obscuring the contribution,” the Post says.
Trump later reimbursed his foundation with $25,000 in his personal funds to cover the donation, and also paid a $2,500 penalty to the IRS for the error. Jeffrey McConney, senior vice president and controller at the Trump Organization, said it was “an honest mistake” and nothing was done intentionally to hide a political donation, according to this Washington Post story.
The group with ties to Bondi is “And Justice for All”; the campaign listed a Kansas group called “Justice for All.”
