A watchdog group on Monday filed a complaint against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump‘s foundation, saying it violated its tax-exempt status when it contributed $25,000 in 2013 toward Attorney General Pam Bondi‘s re-election.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, orĀ CREW, asked the Internal Revenue Service to “investigate whether the Trump Foundation violated federal law.” The group also said the foundationĀ failed to disclose the contribution in its annual financial disclosure.
In September 2013, the foundation gaveĀ $25,000 to “And Justice for All,” an electioneering communications organization (ECO) that supported Bondi’s re-election. Under state law, ECOs can only pay for things such as television, radio or digital ads.
The donation came about the same time thatĀ New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sued Trump for $40 million, citing dozens of complaints about the now-defunctĀ āTrump University.ā
Schneiderman alleged the program enticed students with a get-rich-from-real-estate scheme, then sockedĀ them with expensiveĀ and sub-par seminars. Bondi did not get involved with that suit, which is still pending.
The watchdog’s complaint, filed 2Ā½ years after the contribution was made, comes as Trump is barreling toward the GOP nomination, with 678 delegates. To clinch, he needs 1,237 by theĀ Republican National Convention this June in Cleveland.
Bondi won re-election to a second and final term in 2014, notching a double-digit margin over Democratic challenger George Sheldon andĀ Libertarian candidate Bill Wohlsifer. She has since endorsed Trump for president.
The complaint says that Trump’sĀ foundation, as aĀ 501(c)(3) group under federal tax law, is “prohibited from all political activity, including contributing to political organizations.”
āThe rules are clear: A tax-exempt charitable foundation cannot support a political group,ā CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said in a statement. āThe apparent failure to tell the IRS about this political activity makes matters worse and is something weāve seen too many organizations doing lately.ā
The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to an email for comment. A spokesman for Bondi also declined comment Monday afternoon, saying the matter “does not involve the Florida Attorney Generalās Office.”
Sheldon used the contribution as political fodder during the campaign,Ā essentially accusing her of a pay-for-play deal. Bondi angrily denied that charge at anĀ Associated Press legislative planning session at the Capitol in January 2014, calling itĀ “untrue … despicable,” and “a lie.”
Bondi said her office received “one complaint” in 2011, which was closed by her citizen servicesā staff, according to a Tampa Tribune account. Because theĀ New York case soughtĀ relief for all former students, Bondi did not get involved withĀ that lawsuit, she said.
“One complaint does not make for an active investigation,” she said. “I wrote (Sheldonās comments) down because Iām not letting this one goĀ …Ā He said I would make an investigation āevaporateā? For a campaign contribution? Come on.”
