United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday agreed to shut down his personal charity, the Donald J Trump Foundation, amid allegations that he misused its funds, reported BBC, quoting the New York attorney general.
Barbara Underwood, the attorney general, has accused Trump and his three children – Ivanka, Donald Jr, and Eric – of using it for private and political gains. She had filed a suit in June alleging “persistently illegal conduct” at the foundation and sought more than $2.8 million (Rs 19.62 crore) in compensation. She had asked a judge to temporarily ban the Trumps from serving on the boards of other New York-based non-profit organisations, reported The Washington Post.
Underwood on Tuesday said that her investigation found “a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation – including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and wilful self-dealing, and much more”.
“This amounted to the Trump Foundation functioning as little more than a chequebook to serve Trump’s business and political interests,” she said.
The funds of the charity will be distributed to other charitable causes, which can be chosen by Trump and his children, but they must be submitted to the court within 30 days and approved by the attorney general, reported The Guardian.
Trump had in June denied that the foundation had done anything wrong. Trump Foundation lawyer Alan Futerfas said in a statement to BBC that the foundation had been seeking to dissolve since Trump was elected president, but the New York Attorney General had “sought to prevent the dissolution”.
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