Receiving Donation From Ukrainian Oligarch During Campaign For President
In 2015 Ukrainian Victor Pinchuk made a $150,000 donation to the Trump Foundation in return for Trump’s appearance by video conference link at the Yalta European Strategy Conference. The appearance was broadcast on a large screen and lasted only twenty minutes, including delays caused by translation and by technical difficulties. Pinchuk is the son-in-law of former Ukrainian president Lionid Kuchma. In 2018 The New York Times reported that the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller was investigating the donation as a possible illegal in-kind campaign contribution from a foreign national intended to curry favor with then-candidate Trump.
Relationship With The Press
Throughout his career, Trump has sought media attention, with a “lovehate” relationship with the press. Trump began promoting himself in the press in the 1970s. Fox News anchor and former House speaker have characterized Trump as a “” who makes controversial statements to see people’s “heads explode”.
In the 2016 campaign, Trump benefited from a record amount of free media coverage, elevating his standing in the Republican primaries.New York Times writer wrote in 2018 that Trump’s media dominance, which enthralls the public and creates “can’t miss” reality television-type coverage, was politically beneficial for him.
As a candidate and as president, Trump frequently accused the press of bias, calling it the “fake news media” and “the “. In 2018, journalist recounted Trump’s saying he intentionally demeaned and discredited the media “so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you”.
Trump also deployed the legal system to intimidate the press. In early 2020, the Trump campaign sued The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN for defamation in opinion pieces about Russian election interference. Legal experts said that the lawsuits lacked merit and were not likely to succeed. By March 2021, the lawsuits against The New York Times and CNN had been dismissed.
Trump And The Truth: His Charitable Giving
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This essay is part of a series The New Yorker will be running through the election titled Trump and the Truth.
Donald Trump is a rich maneven if just how rich remains an open questionand he and his campaign have long insisted that he is also a very charitable fellow. Ive given millions away, Trump said in May. The sentiment was reiterated this week by Jason Miller, his campaign spokesperson. Mr. Trump is generous both with his money and with his time, Miller said, in a statement reacting to the latest Washington Post reporting on Trumps charitable foundation. He has provided millions of dollars to fund his Foundation and a multitude of other charitable causes.
How many millions of dollars? People around Trump have answered that question in a number of ways. A couple of weeks ago, Mike Pence, Trumps running mate, said that anyone who knows about Donald Trump and his career knows that this is a man whos given away tens of millions of dollars to charitable causes throughout his business life. In July, Trumps son Eric said his father had given away millions and millions and millions of dollars. Last year, on the same day that Trump officially launched his Presidential bid, his campaign provided a specific number: a summary of net worth document made public that day stated that Trump had given away $102 million between 2009 and 2014.
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Does Ambani Do Charity
Nita M Ambani, Reliance Foundation was set up in 2010 to provide impetus to various philanthropic initiatives of RIL. The Foundation is currently focusing on creating change in areas of Rural Transformation, Health, Education, Sports for Development, Disaster Response, Arts, Culture & Heritage and Urban Renewal.
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In total, the Trump Organization collected $188,000 in rent between January and June, all paid for through Trump’s campaign donations.
Trump Restaurants LLC also collected rent from the PAC even after the former president left office and during a time when tourists visiting Trump Tower were few due to the coronavirus pandemic totalling $15,000, according to federal filings.
Save America, the leadership PAC, paid the Trump Hotel Collection $79,000 in total after Mr Trump left office, according to the White House. Those expenses were largely for lodging and meals.
The Trump Organization did not comment on the self-dealing payments, but the former president did issue a statement boasting that his affiliated committees have approximately $100m of cash ready for use.
These fundraising numbers, coupled with tremendous support in so many other ways, show that President Trumps supporters want him to continue the fight, the statement said.
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$28 Million In Trump Reelection Donations Went To The Trump Organization: Report
An estimated $2.8 million in contributions to Donald Trumps reelection campaign ended up in the coffers of his heavily indebted Trump Organization, Forbes reported Friday.
Additionally, $4.3 million raised by his campaigns joint-fundraising committee, which collected money with the Republican Party, was spent on Trumps businesses from Jan. 20, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2020, according to Forbes examination of campaign filings to the Federal Election Commission.
The committee spent $11,000 on Trump hotels days after he lost the presidential election and an additional $294,000 a week later for lodging, catering and space rental, Forbes noted.
Forbes reported mid-year in 2020 that $2.2 million in donations from his campaign alone had already been spent on Trump properties. The Washington Post reported in early December that more than $1.06 million in campaign contributions were spent on Trump businesses in just the last weeks of his race.
Trump never contributed a cent to his reelection campaign, Forbes reported.
Trump raised $76 million after his loss ostensibly to battle the presidential election results and to help the Republican candidates in the vital Senate races in Georgia but didnt spend a dime on any of it, HuffPost has reported.
He put nothing back. He didnt care, one top Republican familiar with the fundraising operation told HuffPost. He put all this money in the bank for his own legal fights.
What To Watch For
Trump is being investigated by New York Attorney General Letitia James for allegedly overvaluing his assets to his lenders and on his tax returns. A filing from that case alleges Trump demanded that his tax lawyer appraise one of his properties which he donated in 2015 for a $21.1 million tax break after failing to turn it into a golf course and inflate its value, the Times reported. Miller told the Times Trump was not involved in the appraisals.
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Claim: Donald Trump Works For No Money
As President Donald Trump receives criticism for how he has handled the coronavirus pandemic, his backers have taken to social media to show their support.
One topic that comes up is that Trump works for no money and donates the entirety of his presidential salary.
A Facebook post from May that has amassed over 100,000 shares reads: I want to thank Donald Trump for working like a dog for no money to save a country that doesnt appreciate his sacrifice! Thank you Mr. President!
Posts of that nature contain a degree of truth, but are misleading.
Trump, as promised during his campaign, does write checks to various agencies equivalent to a quarter of his annual salary every quarter. But this does not mean he earns no money.
This notion is misleading because Trump continues to profit off of real estate he owns or manages, despite lawsuits arguing that this violates the Constitution’s emoluments clauses.
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Purchasing Goods And Services For Personal Or Business Benefit With Foundation Money
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Trump’s Fundraising Extends Massive $122 Million War Chest
He raised $51M in the second half of 2021, down from $82M in the first half.
Former President Donald Trump announced Monday night that his political committees raised more than $51 million over the second half of last year, to buttress what is now a massive $122 million war chest.
Trump’s latest fundraising haul is a drop from the first half of last year, when his various committees together raised a total of $82 million from January through June of 2021.
It is possible that the $82 million sum Trump’s team announced for the first half of last year included transferred money raised in the final weeks of 2020, though the exact amount transferred from the previous year is unclear.
Trump’s war chest puts him in a uniquely strong position heading into the 2022 midterms and ahead of a potential 2024 presidential run.
Donald J Trump State Park Near Yorktown Heights Ny
In 2006, Trump gave 436 acres to New York state to create Donald J. Trump State Park, about 20 miles north of his Seven Springs estate.
Trump had originally began buying the land in 1998, eventually spending about $2.75 million on the acreage. In his 2015 summary of his charitable giving, though, he valued his gift to the state at $26 million.
He donated the lands to the state in 2006 only after his development plans for it fell apart. An initial plan for two golf courses on the grounds was rejected by local authorities who said it would harm the areas water supply. An effort to build houses on the tract also faltered.
The park is referred to by the state as a passive park, meaning it has no trails or picnic areas. The state stopped maintaining it a decade ago as part of budget cuts.
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Our Rating: Partly False
We rate the claim that Barack Obama donated none of his presidential salary as FALSE while President Donald Trump donates all his salary and that Michelle Obama had a staff of 24 while Melania Trump has a staff of four as PARTLY FALSE because some of it was not supported by our research. Its true that the current president donates his salary, but Obama donated about $2.5 million to charities while in office. Michelle Obamas staff was about 25, but Melania Trumps is about 11.
Diversion Of Taxable Income To The Foundation As Donations
The Washington Post reported in September 2016 that Donald Trump had directed that $2.3 million owed to him and his organization by various people and organizations should be paid instead to his foundation as donations, possibly evading personal income taxes. The Post found old Associated Press coverage showing that Trump may have started directing income to the Trump Foundation as early as 1989. IRS rules prohibit individuals from diverting taxable income owed to them toward charities if they benefit directly from those charities unless the individual declares the income on his tax forms. Since Trump had yet to release his income taxes at that time, the Post was unable to confirm if the income was declared for any of the donations received.
The Trump Foundation received at least $1.9 million from ticket broker Richard Ebers. Richard Ebers had bought goods and services, including tickets, from “Trump or his businesses” he was allegedly instructed to make payment for them to the Trump Foundation in the form of charitable contributions instead of as income for the Trump organization.
Other donations made to the Trump Foundation that may have been in return for Trump’s personal work include:
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Investigation By New York State Attorney General’s Office
Initial investigations and notice of violation
On September 13, 2016, New York State attorney generalEric Schneiderman announced that his office was investigating the foundation “to make sure it’s complying with the laws governing charities in New York.” The office had previously filed chargesat that time awaiting trialagainst the Trump Organization’s Trump University. Jason Miller, a Trump campaign spokesman, responded to the announcement by labeling Schneiderman a “partisan hack”. Schneiderman has endorsed Hillary Clinton and was identified as a member of her “New York leadership council” in October 2015.
On September 30, 2016, the attorney general’s office issued a “Notice of Violation” to the Trump Foundation, ordering it to immediately stop all fundraising in New York and to file its registration and all required past audits within 15 days, or risk being “deemed to be a continuing fraud on the people of the State of New York”. Under the law, the foundation may eventually be required to return all donations it had solicited since inception. The notice said the foundation has not complied with New York law because it had failed to re-register in New York State as a “7A level charitable organization”, as required for charities that solicit $25,000 or more a year from outside donors. The Trump Foundation had been registered in New York under the state’s Estates, Powers and Trusts Law with a designation intended for self-funded private foundations.
How Much Money Is Donated To Charity Annually
Total giving to charitable organizations was $410.02 billion in 2017 . This is an increase of 5.2% in current dollars and 3.0% in inflation-adjusted dollars from 2016. Giving has increased in current dollars every year since 1977, with the exception of three years that saw declines: 1987, 2008 and 2009.
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