New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman ordered Donald Trump’s charity to immediately halt fundraising in the state, following reports that it had not submitted to routine audits mandated by the state, the office announced Monday.
Schneiderman sent notice Friday to the Trump Foundation, alerting that it broke state law when it raised more than $25,000 from outside donors without filing properly with the state. New York requires charities to conduct annual audits to solicit donations.
Trump has collected close to $4.4 million for his charity since 2009. The last time he donated to his own charity was in 2008. World Wide Wrestling Entertainment, NBC Universal and a celebrity signature collector have been his biggest donors over the past year.
The Washington Post first reported last week that Trump likely broke state law by not getting the rights to solicit donors. Schneiderman, a Democrat who is supporting Hillary Clinton, sent the cease-and-desist letter a day later..
Trump’s campaign responded shortly after the notice was made public.
“While we remain very concerned about the political motives behind AG Schneiderman’s investigation, the Trump Foundation nevertheless intends to cooperate fully with the investigation,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said in a statement. “Because this is an ongoing legal matter, the Trump Foundation will not comment further at this time.”
