Trump appears to violate the tax code

[Coyotl]

Source: CREW press release Sept 21, 2016

CREW FILES IRS COMPLAINTS AGAINST DONALD TRUMP & TRUMP FOUNDATION

Washington, D.C.—Donald Trump appears to have broken the law repeatedly by using his foundation for his personal benefit, according to a complaint filed with the IRS today by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). The complaint calls for an investigation into multiple acts of self-dealing by Trump and into the Trump Foundation for violating the tax code by making multiple payments and grants for the private benefit of Trump and his business interests.

According to recent news reports, in 2012 the Foundation made a $158,000 grant to the Martin B. Greenberg Foundation as part of a settlement in a lawsuit against the Trump National Golf Club, which Trump owns. The settlement included language that the Club would make a charitable donation, which was instead paid by the Foundation. Similarly, Trump pledged to donate $100,000 to charity to settle $120,000 in fines racked up by his Mar-a-Lago Club; again, it was paid by the Foundation.

The Trump Foundation repeatedly paid pledges made by Trump and his wife Melania at charity auctions. These pledges include $12,000 for an autographed Tim Tebow football helmet and two pledges for portraits of Trump, one for $20,000 and the other for $10,000. The Foundation also paid $5,000 for advertisements in charity programs promoting Trump’s hotels and made an illegal $25,000 contribution to support Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose office was at the time reportedly investigating Trump University.

“The tax code strictly prohibits charitable foundations from giving private benefits to the people who run them,” CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said. “Mr. Trump and the Trump Foundation appear to have repeatedly and systematically violated these prohibitions. This pattern of abusing a charitable foundation and ignoring the law should not be tolerated.”

On the self-dealing counts, Trump could personally face fines up to 200% of the improper contributions—hundreds of thousands of dollars worth—if he doesn’t correct the violations. As for the Foundation, the tax code is clear: an organization can lose its tax-exempt status even if only a small percentage of its income benefits a private individual, which would be the end of the Trump Foundation.

“One of the most egregious things a charitable foundation can do is use its funds to benefit its founders and officers,” Bookbinder said. “That appears to be what happened here. The IRS should investigate Mr. Trump and the Trump Foundation and take appropriate action.”

Read more: http://www.citizensforethics.org/press-release/trump-appears-violate-tax-code/

---

Trump needs to exercise his right to remain silent.

Click here to read the complaint and here to read the exhibits

Read CREW's previous IRS complaint against Trump and the Trump Foundation

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions. For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org



DU: We need a list of Trump's known crimes.

DU: What is Trump's criminal exposure for giving Scott Walker a check for Wisconsin Club for Growth?

[onehandle]

1. Appears? nt

[NewJeffCT]

6. That was my thought as well

only appears?

[turbinetree]

2. Maybe this time he will be frog stepping his way into the whoos cowl

one can only hope.

Hey, dumpster I can just see it now, the first question on the debate list had better be, are your going to produce your "audit" letter from the IRS, most people really want to see your three to five plus page 1040A and the associated Schedules, most taxpayers know what these are and the first two pages on the 1040 A are pretty straight forward, it gets right to the point.

And, yes we want to see what you and the other criminal enterprises such as Scott Walker and cronies and "Dark Money" have been doing, and lets not forget good old Texas, and that attorney general, you know past and present, they can send people to the death chamber but they don't have to answer to corruption charges, just like the Sec of Ag in the state, and lets not forget Pam Bondi, another forthright attorney general in your "slush fund" scheme at Trump U. Then there are the foreign ties to known criminals and dictators.

Most people if they were to do this would be sitting in federal prison right now under indictment.

[BlueInPhilly]

10. He released a letter from his lawyers

confirming that he is under audit. It's Morgan Lewis, so it's a reputable law firm.

[PJMcK]

14. Really? Is that sarcasm?

Certainly, you know that lawyers are paid to obfuscate on behalf of their clients. Since the letter from Donald Trump's attorney is not sworn evidence, it could say anything. It doesn't matter if it's from a hack or the greatest lawyer alive.

The only letters that matter, in this instance, are the ones from the IRS notifying the taxpayer that a specific year is under audit. Mr. Trump could show us those notification letters, which do not show any financial or personal information, (except for the taxpayer's mailing/filing address and their Social Security number- both of which can be easily redacted). That is an official document, not a note from his paid shill.

Of course, Mr. Trump should really release his tax returns. He won't because he's a coward.

[jmowreader]

17. They didn't actually say he was under "audit"

The IRS treats the very rich differently than they treat the rest of us: the feds continuously scrutinize their accounts. You and I might get a few seconds' time out of the IRS' computers, and maybe a few minutes if our returns display behavior out of the expected range (which is why big lottery winners always get audited - twenty years of $32,000 to $36,000 AGI followed by a year of $190 million will do that to you) but Trump, because he turns in a "2500-page" tax return, gets his own officer.

Trump, of course, doesn't want the rest of the world to know he REALLY makes his money as a rental agent; if he released his taxes they'd find out quick.

[Abouttime]

19. Seriously

Trump needs to be politically wounded, charging him with a crime would most likely lock up the election for Hillary. Hopefully the IRS and DOJ are all over this and quick.

[neeksgeek]

3. Trump is opposed to tax codes on general principles.

He only has one code: greed.

[EricMaundry]

4. A possible president that didn't pay his taxes?

What a fine example for the American people.

[geardaddy]

11. That is a great graphic!

I especially love the Dalek and Hannibal Lecter in there.

[SHRED]

5. Laws are for us common folks

[ffr]

7. LOCK HIM UP!

LOCK THEM ALL UP!

[Bobcat]

8. Projection

Who is the "crooked" one, Donald?

[Mme. Defarge]

9. He's gonna need to start

a GoFunMe campaign on Twitter...

[madamesilverspurs]

12. "appears" to violate?

.

[benld74]

13. Agreed 1000% appears???

Hasn't enough time lapsed that what was done can be looked at under a microscope?

[Coyotl]

15. Daily Beast Donald Trump Accused of Using His Charity as a Political Slush Fund

Details, Details
Donald Trump Accused of Using His Charity as a Political Slush Fund

When the presumptive GOP nominee doled out money to veterans’ groups over the past few months, he did so using the Trump Foundation—which, according to FEC and IRS rules, should not be engaged in political activity.

The Trump Foundation, Donald Trump’s nonprofit organization, is under fire for allegedly operating as more of a political slush fund than a charity. The foundation is accused of violating rules prohibiting it from engaging in politics—prompting ethics watchdogs to call for public investigations.

On numerous occasions this year, Trump’s campaign work and his foundation work have overlapped—putting himself at risk for penalties and his charity at risk of being shut down.

It’s the latest example of Trump courting controversy: not merely through inflammatory rhetoric, but also through private dealings that raise serious legal questions—all of which indicate how he might govern if elected president of the United States.

Trump is listed as the president of the foundation in the charity’s annual disclosures, and his children Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump are all listed as directors. Foundations like theirs are exempt from paying taxes, and as such are barred from engaging in political causes.

“A 501(c)(3) [nonprofit organization], like the Trump Foundation, is strictly prohibited from engaging in political activity. ...................

[lindysalsagal]

16. Surprise!

The RNC let him run. They own all of his corruption. This should disqualify the RNC as a national party.

[KewlKat]

18. why should he be allowed to "correct the violations"

On the self-dealing counts, Trump could personally face fines up to 200% of the improper contributions—hundreds of thousands of dollars worth—if he doesn’t correct the violations.

I want him fined 200% of the nearly 3 million we know about. Hell maybe his son Eric's foundation can pay the 60M fine and join papa in jail....a 2 fer.

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. Would you buy a used car from this man?

[Coyotl]

21. I remember that so well.

It was really difficult to accept his winning, given all we knew about him. Then to win re-election by lying so.