Well, well, well, it looks as though the Trump family may be in for a civil and criminal battle that has the possibility to bleed pretty heavily into the Campaign Finance Violation space. Not good. Let's break down the filing that came out today. It is dozens of pages long, so we will try to hit the high points:
President Trump, Ivanka, Donald Jr., and Eric are being sued by the Attorney General of New York, Barbara Underwood, for violating State and Federal charity laws by using charitable assets as "little more than a checkbook for payments to not-for-profits from Mr. Trump" and his companies.
Assets of the Trump Foundation that were acquired through tax-deductible donations were used to settle legal claims against two of Donald Trump's golf clubs and to buy a painting of Trump for display at a club, as well as other violations.
The New York Attorney General is looking for $2.8 Million in restitution and penalties to be paid by Trump, and an additional $1 Million in assets be dispensed to other charities. Additionally, the suit seeks to dissolve the Trump Foundation and stop Donald Trump from running any sort of charity for at least 10 years; his children, at least 1 year a piece.
The lawsuit states that the foundation engaged in at least 5 self-dealing transactions that were unlawful because they benefited Mr. Trump or businesses he controls. Some of the claims are that a $100 Thousand Dollar payment was made to settle legal claims against Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, a $158 Thousand Dollar payment was made to settle legal claims against Trump National Golf Club, and $10 Thousand Dollars was used to purchase a painting of Mr. Trump displayed at the Trump National Doral.
So we are looking at everything mentioned above, plus a barrage of other items, like Trump throwing an event to raise funds for veterans' organizations that was in fact false, because it was really a fundraiser for the Trump Campaign in which the Foundation participated.
Trump and his children are looking at civil and potential criminal charges for breaking State and Federal laws, to include Campaign Finance Laws. This is not a good thing for the Trumps, and it simply adds to the amount of investigatory ground work that has been done over the past couple of years regarding Trump and those who are very close to Trump. It seems, however, that the investigations are drawing ever more near the President himself now, and based on his actions and the actions of his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, over the past few weeks, Trump knows that the walls are closing in around him and he is doing everything he can to try to discredit everyone he can. Look at today, as soon as the charges were filed and made public, Trump blasted off tweets to try to discredit the Attorney General's lawsuit. They read as follows:
Even immediately after leaving Singapore and the meeting with the North Korean leader, Trump was on the phone with his lawyers while on Air Force One to determine go ahead plans for the Mueller Investigation and the fact Mueller wants to sit and ask questions of the President. Any lawyer in their right mind would not want Trump to be interviewed by a Special Counsel, because he is simply unpredictable. When having the President practice recently for questions, they were hours into the practice and Trump had struggled through only 2 questions. It seems that lies, mistruths, and misdirection are no longer working to fend off the incoming legal threats this President potentially has in front of himself.
He keeps saying no collusion. If that is in fact the case, why can't he just clear the air, sit down, answer the questions, and move on? Why, because illegal activity surrounds the President. Contacts with Russia surround the President. Unless President Trump is literally the dumbest person on the planet, there is no possible way he was unaware of many of the things he says he was unaware of.
Buy a ticket to this train because it's going to be an interesting ride!
DUNK
President Trump, Ivanka, Donald Jr., and Eric are being sued by the Attorney General of New York, Barbara Underwood, for violating State and Federal charity laws by using charitable assets as "little more than a checkbook for payments to not-for-profits from Mr. Trump" and his companies.
Assets of the Trump Foundation that were acquired through tax-deductible donations were used to settle legal claims against two of Donald Trump's golf clubs and to buy a painting of Trump for display at a club, as well as other violations.
The New York Attorney General is looking for $2.8 Million in restitution and penalties to be paid by Trump, and an additional $1 Million in assets be dispensed to other charities. Additionally, the suit seeks to dissolve the Trump Foundation and stop Donald Trump from running any sort of charity for at least 10 years; his children, at least 1 year a piece.
The lawsuit states that the foundation engaged in at least 5 self-dealing transactions that were unlawful because they benefited Mr. Trump or businesses he controls. Some of the claims are that a $100 Thousand Dollar payment was made to settle legal claims against Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, a $158 Thousand Dollar payment was made to settle legal claims against Trump National Golf Club, and $10 Thousand Dollars was used to purchase a painting of Mr. Trump displayed at the Trump National Doral.
So we are looking at everything mentioned above, plus a barrage of other items, like Trump throwing an event to raise funds for veterans' organizations that was in fact false, because it was really a fundraiser for the Trump Campaign in which the Foundation participated.
Trump and his children are looking at civil and potential criminal charges for breaking State and Federal laws, to include Campaign Finance Laws. This is not a good thing for the Trumps, and it simply adds to the amount of investigatory ground work that has been done over the past couple of years regarding Trump and those who are very close to Trump. It seems, however, that the investigations are drawing ever more near the President himself now, and based on his actions and the actions of his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, over the past few weeks, Trump knows that the walls are closing in around him and he is doing everything he can to try to discredit everyone he can. Look at today, as soon as the charges were filed and made public, Trump blasted off tweets to try to discredit the Attorney General's lawsuit. They read as follows:
- Donald Trump Tweeted, "Now that I am back from Singapore, where we had a great result with respect to North Korea, the thought process must sadly go back to the Witch Hunt, always remembering that there was No Collusion and No Obstruction of the fabricated No Crime."
- Trump also Tweeted, "So, the Democrats make up a phony crime, Collusion with the Russians, pay a fortune to make the crime sound real, illegally leak (Comey) classified information so that a Special Councel (Notice it is spelled wrong) will be appointed, and then Collude to make this pile of garbage take on life in Fake News!"
- Trump then Tweeted, "The sleazy New York Democrats, and their now disgraced (and run out of town) A.G. Eric Schneiderman, are doing everything they can to sue me on a foundation that took in $18,800,000 and gave out to charity more money than it took in, $19,200,000. I won't settle this case!...Schneiderman, who ran the Clinton campaign in New York, never had the guts to bring this ridiculous case, which lingered in their office for almost 2 years. Now he resigned his office in disgrace, and his disciples brought it when we would not settle."
Even immediately after leaving Singapore and the meeting with the North Korean leader, Trump was on the phone with his lawyers while on Air Force One to determine go ahead plans for the Mueller Investigation and the fact Mueller wants to sit and ask questions of the President. Any lawyer in their right mind would not want Trump to be interviewed by a Special Counsel, because he is simply unpredictable. When having the President practice recently for questions, they were hours into the practice and Trump had struggled through only 2 questions. It seems that lies, mistruths, and misdirection are no longer working to fend off the incoming legal threats this President potentially has in front of himself.
He keeps saying no collusion. If that is in fact the case, why can't he just clear the air, sit down, answer the questions, and move on? Why, because illegal activity surrounds the President. Contacts with Russia surround the President. Unless President Trump is literally the dumbest person on the planet, there is no possible way he was unaware of many of the things he says he was unaware of.
Buy a ticket to this train because it's going to be an interesting ride!
DUNK
Comments