We need a list of Trump's known crimes.

[Coyotl]

We have this from the Hillary website:

[link:https://www.hillaryclinton.com/feed/things-donald-trump-has-said-and-done-that-in-a-normal-election-would-disqualify-a-nominee/|
126 things Donald Trump has said and done that, in a normal election, would disqualify a nominee]
The saddest part is, we could keep going. ...........
September 15, 2016 by Sam Koppelman

But a shorter list of just the criminal conduct seems a better idea.

1. Bribery in Florida, AG Pam Bondi.
2. Bribery in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott
3. Conspiracy to violate election laws, Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin.
4. Illegal campaign donations using his non-profit foundation, with a cover-up in IRS false filing.

What can we add to the list at this time? Tax evasion?

Being a criminal seems a disqualifier for the Presidency far moreso than saying Obama isn't a real American. Just saying, focus, focus, focus ......

[Sunny05]

1. Solicited campaign donations from citizens (mostly lawmakers) of other nations ...

multiple times, from multiple nations. Probably not just email list they bought & didn't examine, b/c the emails to MPs in Great Britain had reference to Brexit, worded as if trump thought they all saw brexit as good and was trying to liken himself and his campaign to brexit.

Above -- said mostly lawmakers, but may have been that all these foreign solicitations were to foreign lawmakers.

[Sunny05]

2. trump modeling agency [allegedly] violated ..

immagration law in manner he & agency enticed and coached models to come from other nations to U.S.

[meow2u3]

3. Trafficking in persons?

[Sunny05]

5. May be ... I am not sure if it is called

trafficking per se. It may be; I just don't know the terminology that well. But Trump modeling agency, acc. to Mother Jones and models they interviewed, instructed these models to lie to INS about reasons for wanting to come to U.S. Then went ahead and paid them (but poorly) to work for agency here in U.S. So, deceit in visa applivations/paperwork -- known, planned-out deceit on part of trump modeling agency PLUS hiring/use of illegal/undocumented labor.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/donald-trump-model-management-illegal-immigration

The models were treated poorly, forced to pay ridiculously high rent on trump rooming (obviously jacked-up above comparable rent in area) with 4 to 5 people in a room, forced to pay high fees to agents -- these costs taken out of their paychecks, as I understand it.

Oh, and trump has large portion of ownership in this agency (not just name/branding thing).

A number of more reliable (newish/21st cent.), progressive) sources covered this after Mother Jones broke the story. But one "MSM" source (that I know of) that covered it was ABC (just an fyi; I am absolutely not pro abc or pro anything that is "msm&quot :
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-model-felt-slave-working-donalds-agency/story?id=37313993

[Sunny05]

4. Probable/possible campaign law violation RE: staff ...

if it is true that trump organization staff used for campaign w/o being reported as such.

Hope you don't mind possible crimes, but I don't know whether proof exists of this (or whether trump campaign corrected it). But in case it us criminal act, it needs to be considered.

[Coyotl]

14. Recently they created the evidence themselves. So many crimes, too easy to forget some.

The count goes up as they commit them in plain view while campaigning. The plagiarized speech and the would-be writer at Trump's business office is a documented crime as evidenced by their statements and tweets.

5. Illegal use of business for political activity. Failure to report in kind contributions. How many possible charges in this item? How many incidents we don't know about?

Trump's campaign seems like the Bundys (take your pick ) trying to take over America. Instead of occupying Mahleur, Trump took over the media. I doubt anyone was bribed, wink, wink.

[Sunny05]

18. Wow. Good take on all this ...

All the things I listed here are, as far as I am concerned, criminal. But I don't have proof, and I don't know how to interpret what law enforcement or prosecutors would consider as good-enough evidence. Also, I wasn't sure if I should just send what has been formally established as criminal activity (or practically established as such) or if what I was sending was okay, not cluttering your list. It seems like it is okay.

I think your list is a fantastic idea. I am guessing you are compiling it with possible plans for disseminating it, with particular recipients in mind. Whatever you do or don't do, it is fantastic idea.

By the way, does your username end in i or l? I think I misread it earlier and thus mistyped it.

[duncang]

6. Using his foundations funds to purchase portrait and tebow helmet

If he put it in one of his houses or businesses that's illegal. But he has had time to move them or get rid of them. Not sure what happens then.

[Sunny05]

8. Good one.

[Sunny05]

7. Probable/possible campaign violation RE: payments to properties

His campaign has paid high "rent" to his properties (mainly Mara Lago in FL, as far as I have read) for campaign events, with fees having increased dramaticaaly after he started getting rnc money (once he became nominee). If it can be established that these fees were jacked up unreasonably -- beyond market value of comparable properties -- then it may be established that he is using campaign donations to enrich himself (or to keep himself from going under financially). Here's sampling of coverage (please search for more -- they're out there), including some from msm, even (surprisingly):

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/local/cbs-news-trump-campaign-paid-his-mar-a-lago-club-4/nsTGm/

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/local/cbs-news-trump-campaign-paid-his-mar-a-lago-club-4/nsTGm/

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/22/us/politics/donald-trump-self-funding-payments.html?_r=0

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mrinalinikrishna/2016/06/21/donald-trumps-presidential-campaign-is-enriching-his-businesses/#321f7424b06c

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/23/politics/trump-tower-rent/

Also, he used campaign money to pay his new/refurbished hotel and n D.C. on Friday night (Sept. 16) for an event that seemed like campaign event at first but turned into commercial for his hotel. If it can be established that this was really advertisement for his own property, then that is a crime. Couldn't get link just jow, but it's out there who in Friday or Saturday news.

[Sunny05]

9. Falsely claiming charitable donations

Whether claiming personal donations or trump foundation donations, trump has most likely committed tax fraud. WaPo reporter Fahrenthold has uncovered likely evidence against trump foundation for claiming donations that it never made:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-donald-trump-retooled-his-charity-to-spend-other-peoples-money/2016/09/10/da8cce64-75df-11e6-8149-b8d05321db62_story.html

[Sunny05]

10. So glad Coyoti raised issue / K&R, folks!

Great post, Coyoti! This is much needed. Come on, everyone, let's get this list put together and documented as well as we can!

[Skidmore]

11. Here's an Atlantic article with a list.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/donald-trump-scandals/474726/

[Coyotl]

12. Quite the list of known and alleged scandals. I want to filter to just criminality.

Something that can really swing voters, no matter their political persuasion, "Will you vote for a known criminal for the most powerful position in the world?" The glove fits, he should have to wear it.

With a list including alleged and scandals included, suddenly there's a lot of context, plus rapes OMG. Every voter should read your Atlantic link.

[duncang]

13. The lawsuite or suites he may have raped one or more underage girls

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/why-the-new-child-rape-ca_b_10619944.html

[Coyotl]

15. That one he doesn't admit to. He paid the fine for lying to the IRS, an admission.

And his IRS lie was a cover-up of money he paid to Florida AG Pam Bondi's campaign organization. Voters have to ask themselves "Should a man who lies to the IRS be in charge of the IRS?" plus there are a few more questions about bribery and campaign law violations to ask about in this admission.

We have on record Trump's lies about not knowing who she was before he was outed for throwing her a lavish fund raiser at his mansion--an in-kind unreported donation he was trying to cover-up? I feel like I need deeper boots to wade in his steaming pile of activity. And a clothes pin for my nose.

[Coyotl]

16. #CriminalDonald might be a useful hashtag.

Especially given his fondness for a similar nickname he applies to Sec. Clinton. Found this and a few good hashtags. #TrumpLies #DonTheCon #Birther
Sherri Pine @Specneedsmom4
#NeuroticDon #BirtherDon #LyinDonTheCon #TrumpTheChump #RacistDrumpf #DonTheCon....shall I go on???? #ConArtistDon

Wayne Hoy ?@WayneHoy
Sep 9 - Election Complaint Filed With DOJ Against Florida AG for 2013 Trump Foundation Contribution
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/election-complaint-filed-doj-florida-ag-2013-trump/story?id=41954631 … #CriminalDonald

Sep 4 - Former Texas official says he was told to drop Trump University probe
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-texas-official-says-he-was-told-to-drop-trump-university-probe/ … #criminaldonald

vooda @vooda1
#DonTheCon ...look squirrel! @CNN @MSNBC start doing your damn job & nail his fraudulent balls to the wall #unfit

[Coyotl]

17. The small business owners Trump never paid in full

The small business owners Trump never paid in full
By Laura Dolan and Jessica Schneider, CNN - September 14, 2016

(CNN) "It was like we won the lottery," Beth Rosser remembers. Her dad, Forest Jenkins, had just secured a $200,000 contract to work at the biggest prize in Atlantic City: Donald Trump's Taj Mahal.

His company installed toilet partitions -- not exactly glamorous, but important nonetheless. It was 1988, and a six-figure contract was huge.

"It was a big job. It was great. We were all excited," says Forest's son Steven Jenkins. Jenkins spent a month working at the Taj. "I had the fuzz from those carpets on the wheels of my dolly for months after that job."

But what seemed like a winning ticket soon turned into a nightmare when the paycheck never came. ...........

[Sunny05]

19. Judge ordered trump to pay ...

Your #17 post w/ CNN link reminded me ...

http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/jose-lambiet/article91353232.html

Judge ordered trump to pay nearly $300K in attorney's fees over lawsuit by painter who didn't get fully paid by trump. This court ruling happened just this summer in FL. More context is in above link's report, including lien that was placed on trump property over $34K not paid to painter. This was civil court case; but not paying contractor surely is not legal, surely is criminal whether or not prosecuted (or so it seems to me).

[jmowreader]

20. 21 USC 848 - Continuing Criminal Enterprise

Yes, we are speaking of Trump University.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/848

(a) Penalties; forfeitures
Any person who engages in a continuing criminal enterprise shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment which may not be less than 20 years and which may be up to life imprisonment, to a fine not to exceed the greater of that authorized in accordance with the provisions of title 18 or $2,000,000 if the defendant is an individual or $5,000,000 if the defendant is other than an individual, and to the forfeiture prescribed in section 853 of this title; except that if any person engages in such activity after one or more prior convictions of him under this section have become final, he shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment which may not be less than 30 years and which may be up to life imprisonment, to a fine not to exceed the greater of twice the amount authorized in accordance with the provisions of title 18 or $4,000,000 if the defendant is an individual or $10,000,000 if the defendant is other than an individual, and to the forfeiture prescribed in section 853 of this title.

(b) Life imprisonment for engaging in continuing criminal enterprise
Any person who engages in a continuing criminal enterprise shall be imprisoned for life and fined in accordance with subsection (a), if—
(1) such person is the principal administrator, organizer, or leader of the enterprise or is one of several such principal administrators, organizers, or leaders; and
(2)
(A) the violation referred to in subsection (c)(1) involved at least 300 times the quantity of a substance described in subsection 841(b)(1)(B) of this title, or
(B) the enterprise, or any other enterprise in which the defendant was the principal or one of several principal administrators, organizers, or leaders, received $10 million dollars in gross receipts during any twelve-month period of its existence for the manufacture, importation, or distribution of a substance described in section 841(b)(1)(B) of this title.

Interestingly enough...

(e) Death penalty
(1) In addition to the other penalties set forth in this section—
(A) any person engaging in or working in furtherance of a continuing criminal enterprise, or any person engaging in an offense punishable under section 841(b)(1)(A) [1] of this title or section 960(b)(1) [1] of this title who intentionally kills or counsels, commands, induces, procures, or causes the intentional killing of an individual and such killing results, shall be sentenced to any term of imprisonment, which shall not be less than 20 years, and which may be up to life imprisonment, or may be sentenced to death; and
(B) any person, during the commission of, in furtherance of, or while attempting to avoid apprehension, prosecution or service of a prison sentence for, a felony violation of this subchapter or subchapter II who intentionally kills or counsels, commands, induces, procures, or causes the intentional killing of any Federal, State, or local law enforcement officer engaged in, or on account of, the performance of such officer’s official duties and such killing results, shall be sentenced to any term of imprisonment, which shall not be less than 20 years, and which may be up to life imprisonment, or may be sentenced to death.

So...since Trump is engaged in a criminal enterprise as detailed in this statute, and he has called for Hillary's assassination on several occasions, if one of his followers does manage to whack Hillary does that mean we can send Donald to the chair?

[Coyotl]

21. is federal law targeting large-scale drug traffickers who are responsible for long-term drug ops.

The Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute (commonly referred to as CCE Statute or The Kingpin Statute) is a United States federal law that targets large-scale drug traffickers who are responsible for long-term and elaborate drug conspiracies. ..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuing_Criminal_Enterprise

[jmowreader]

22. Thanks...

...so that means we just have to use RICO against him? That's fine by me because RICO also allows the feds to seize and sell any property that was used in the corrupt enterprise...meaning we can clean his ass out.

[Saviolo]

23. Here's a vast list

Of Trump-debunking links assembled by a bunch of Redditors:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512406355

[napkinz]

24. kick

[Coyotl]

25. CREW: Trump Campaign Spooked by Charity Probe

Discuss on DU here.

via my e-mail: update on some major CREW successes

First, I wanted to let you know that we found out this morning that we won a major lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission, with a federal judge agreeing with us that the FEC was wrong to dismiss our complaint against the American Action Network and Americans for Job Security - two major dark money groups ......

Second, I wanted to highlight a good piece that came out this morning in the Daily Beast setting out the high stakes in the Trump Foundation-Bondi contribution scandal and delving in some detail into CREW's work on that issue. We've gotten a ton of attention for our pioneering work in breaking that scandal, but this piece does a good job of synthesizing how big a deal it is and showing that we continue to be on the cutting edge on it.

You can read the Daily Beast story

............ Those in Donald Trump’s orbit appear to be nervous about the swirling scandal around the Trump Foundation—and they should be: The stakes are incredibly high.

The allegations of a quid pro quo between Trump and Florida Attorney General, improper use of the charity for personal benefit, and employment of the charity for political purposes have serious penalties beyond mere campaign optics—the possible consequences range from hefty fines to jail time.

The last seven days has been all bad news on the Trump Foundation front: .............

press release on our litigation victory .....

[trueblue2007]

26. Trump is a RAPIST !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Madam45for2923]

27. Lots of dealings/monies coming from all over the globe as shown in the recent Newsweek Article

Problem I think is that these monies were not all reported in his FEC Financial Disclosements...

[NewJeffCT]

28. Kicking for Monday night

didn't see this yesterday

[Coyotl]

29. Trump used $258,000 from his charity to settle legal problems

Discuss on DU here: Sep 20, 2016, RogueTrooper

Trump used $258,000 from his charity to settle legal problems

Source: Washington Post

Donald Trump spent more than a quarter-million dollars from his charitable foundation to settle lawsuits that involved the billionaire’s for-profit businesses, according to interviews and a review of legal documents.

Those cases, which together used $258,000 from Trump’s charity, were among four newly documented expenditures in which Trump may have violated laws against “self-dealing” — which prohibit nonprofit leaders from using charity money to benefit themselves or their businesses.

In one case, from 2007, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club ................

Is this why Trump has a charitable foundation, as a tax evasion scheme and for self-dealing, in other words, is he himself the charity case.

[Coyotl]

30. Several more crimes: "...when mogul was sued, he doled out settlement using money from his charity"

More Trump crimes popping up in the news and then here on DU.

LBN: Trump refused to pay winner of a 2010 golf contest his $1M prize

Daily News: Trump refused to pay winner of a 2010 golf contest his $1M prize — and when mogul was sued, he doled out settlement using money from his charity

Donald Trump once refused to pay a winner of a hole-in-one contest $1 million during a 2010 golf tournament, prompting the competition’s angry winner to sue ..... when the GOP nominee finally settled the suit for $158,000, he did so with money from his charitable foundation, which is illegal.

............

News of the settlement money coming from the Trump Foundation’s coffers was first reported by The Washington Post, which has for months been investigating the mogul’s charity..... The Post reported that Trump has spent a total of at least $258,000 from his charitable foundation to settle lawsuits against his businesses. ............

.... two other cases, Trump used $5,000 in 2013 to purchase ads for his hotels in programs run by a preservation group and used $10,000 in 2014 for a portrait of himself.

The latest report comes just a week after the office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman opened a broad investigation into the Donald J. Trump Foundation. ....

Schneiderman ... is already overseeing a $40 million suit against Trump related to his shuttered scam school Trump University ....

[Coyotl]

31. "... Post has found that Trump bought not one but two portraits of himself with charity money ..."

2nd portrait of himself bought with charity money... found hanging in a Trump resort

A portrait of Trump bought with Foundation money is hanging in one of his resorts
Jordan Freiman / September 20, 2016

.... It was previously revealed that the Trump foundation paid $20,000 for a six-foot-tall painting of Trump that his wife Melania won at a charity auction. .....

The second portrait is modest compared to the first. It stands at a mere four feet tall and only cost the Trump Foundation $10,000. The painting, done by Havi Schanz, was sold in 2014 at an event held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. It then appears to have made its way to the Trump National Doral Miami golf resort.

[Coyotl]

32. Add “soliciting campaign donations from foreign entities” in violation of election laws.

Last edited Sun Sep 25, 2016, 11:41 AM - Edit history (1)

Trump campaign solicits illegal foreign donations despite warnings
By Jonathan Swan and Harper Neidig - 07/16/16 02:27 PM EDT

Donald Trump's campaign is still soliciting illegal donations from foreign individuals — including members of foreign governments at their official email addresses — weeks after the campaign was put on notice by watchdog groups.

Foreign members of parliament from the United Kingdom and Australia confirmed to The Hill that they received fundraising solicitations from the Trump campaign as recently as July 12 — two weeks after a widely publicized Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint issued on June 29 by nonpartisan watchdogs Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center.

These latest campaign finance violations were first reported by the investigative website WhoWhatWhy and have been confirmed by The Hill.

The Trump campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

..............

Why Isn't Trump Prosecuted for Soliciting Foreign Cash? - Newsweek

Trump campaign illegally soliciting donations from foreign nationals ... The Washington Times

Trump campaign may have broken law by seeking foreign political donations ... The Guardian

:large

[Coyotl]

33. A Complete List of All the Times Donald Trump Has Broken the Law

It's Definitely Hillary Clinton Who Thinks She Is 'Above the Law'
By Dustin Rowles | Politics | July 28, 2016

Yesterday, Donald Trump possibly committed a felony by inciting Vladimir Putin and the Russian government to hack an American citizen and release personal emails. It’s just the latest questionably illegal action by the Republican nominee for President, who has been sued over 3,500 times in his career, including 70 times since he kicked off his campaign. In fact, two groups have threatened to sue him this week for refusing to pay for services rendered. More chilling than even his potentially treasonous comments was his suggestion yesterday that, if he had the power, he would hack into the private communications of political opponents (and the Presidency would give him that power).

That’s terrifying.

It’s also just the latest illegal or potentially illegal act in the life and career of Donald Trump. Here’s a taste of Donald Trump’s other illegal activities:

...................

Hillary Clinton has been investigated and scrutinized for decades. She’s endured years of partisan Congressional hearings, FBI investigations, and independent counsel probes. Donald Trump can’t even handle the scrutiny of having one year of tax returns examined, in spite of his own hypocrisy about the release of personal records:

But sure, it’s Hillary Clinton who is above the law.

[Coyotl]

34. New today, Trump violated the Cuba Embargo = campaign manager confirms that he broke the law

But hey, he's The Donald, laws, smaws ....

Trump's campaign manager confirms that he broke the law by seeking investments in Cuba
Mark Sumner - Sep 29, 2016

This morning, reports emerged that Donald Trump illegally did business in Castro's Cuba. ....

.... Donald Trump spent money looking for investments in Cuba but decided not to buy. ........

..... Documents show that the Trump company spent a minimum of $68,000 for its 1998 foray into Cuba at a time when the corporate expenditure of even a penny in the Caribbean country was prohibited without U.S. government approval. But the company did not spend the money directly. Instead, with Trump’s knowledge, executives funneled the cash for the Cuba trip through an American consulting firm called Seven Arrows Investment and Development Corp. Once the business consultants traveled to the island and incurred the expenses for the venture, Seven Arrows instructed senior officers with Trump’s company—then called Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts—how to make it appear legal by linking it after the fact to a charitable effort. ..........

This comes just as the investigation into other ways Trump has misused a charitable foundation is exploding.
Thanks for the confirmation, Kellyanne.

[Coyotl]

37. Also new today: CNN Breaking News: Trump Foundation Didn't Get Certification

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028197858

Trump Foundation lacks the certification required for charities that solicit money
By David A. Fahrenthold - September 29 at 8:25 PM

Donald Trump’s charitable foundation — which has been sustained for years by donors outside the Trump family — has never obtained the certification that New York requires before charities can solicit money from the public, according to the state attorney general’s office.

Under the laws in New York, where the Donald J. Trump Foundation is based, any charity that solicits more than $25,000 a year from the public must obtain a special kind of registration beforehand. Charities as large as Trump’s must also submit to a rigorous annual audit that asks — among other things — whether the charity spent any money for the personal benefit of its officers.

If New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) finds that Trump’s foundation raised money in violation of the law, he could order the charity to stop raising money immediately. With a court’s permission, Schneiderman could also force Trump to return money that his foundation has already raised.

The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment ...........

[Laura PourMeADrink]

35. Suggesting taking Iraqi oil against US and

International laws as well as Geneva Convention. Shooting a sailor who gestures? Murder?

[tandem5]

36. we're gonna to need a bigger notepad

[DetlefK]

38. Could you please update your OP?

* Tax-Evasion because Trump had other companies pay his company by donating the amount in question to the Trump Foundation.

* Violating the Cuba-embargo.

* The Trump Foundation was never certified to be a charity that solicits donations. Would otherwise have faced external audits into the Trump Foundation's spending.

[Coyotl]

41. Already posted, 34 and 37 above, Trump's two-fer day.

Anyone can add crimes as needed and as they happen. Plenty to come too, no doubt.

[LeftRant]

39. Is being a major league asshole a crime?

[Coyotl]

40. Trump Gave 10 Times Legal Max To Florida Attorney General

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141587799

Source: Huffington Post

Donald Trump contributed 10 times as much money as was allowed by law to the 2006 gubernatorial campaign of Florida’s then-Attorney General Charlie Crist, according to a Huffington Post review of state campaign finance records.

The donations that exceeded the limit were all made on the same day through companies Trump owns. Trump did not disclose the connection, and regulators did not identify the gifts as coming from Trump. All told, Trump made nine contributions of $500 to Crist’s campaign on Aug. 25, 2005, for a total of $4,500. At the time, the maximum allowable donation in Florida from an individual or corporation was $500, a sum that Trump had already given Crist’s campaign as a personal donation in June of that year.

HuffPost first identified three of the nine companies last month, and has since identified another six Trump companies that made contributions over the legal limit. “It’s pretty clear in this case that Trump was secretly buying influence without regard to the rules,” said Brendan Fischer, associate counsel at the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center.
...
According to Fischer, Trump appears to have committed a number of violations. “One is Trump exceeding the $500 campaign contribution limit,” and possibly doing it multiple times, he said. “Then there’s the possibility that Trump violated disclosure requirements, which exist so that voters can see who is supporting a candidate. And under Florida’s straw donor ban, you can’t use an LLC to evade the contribution and disclosure laws.” ......

[Coyotl]

42. Trump Used Foundation Funds for 2016 Run, Filings Suggest

Trump Used Foundation Funds for 2016 Run, Filings Suggest http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141588017

RealClearPolitics

From 2011 through 2014, Trump harnessed his eponymous foundation to send at least $286,000 to influential conservative or policy groups, a RealClearPolitics review of the foundation’s tax filings found. In many cases, this flow of money corresponded to prime speaking slots or endorsements that aided Trump as he sought to recast himself as a plausible Republican candidate for president.

Although sources familiar with the thinking behind the donations cautioned that Trump did not explicitly ask for favors in return for the money, they said the contributions were part of a deliberate effort by Trump to ingratiate himself with influential conservatives and brighten his political prospects. .................

[Coyotl]

43. Trump Floored By MASSIVE Sales Tax Avoidance Scandal, Campaign Goes Silent

It is difficult keeping up with all the Trump crimes surfacing. Please help by posting any I've missed.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512469997

Trump Floored By MASSIVE Sales Tax Avoidance Scandal, Campaign Goes Silent

Along with the New York Times discovery that Trump lost nearly $1 billion in 1995, it was also discovered that Donald Trump is known for evading taxes — even sales taxes. Forbes dug up a criminal case from 1986 wherein Donald Trump was evading New York state sales tax in collusion with a Bulgari jewelry store. The high-end jewelry store and Donald Trump seemed to have worked out a deal where Trump could avoid paying sales tax to the state and the city.

Trump would enter the store at the Fifth Avenue location in Manhattan to purchase a piece for a wife or girlfriend such as an expensive watch or necklace. Under normal circumstances, Bulgari would charge the customer sales tax, which would then be later paid to state coffers.

But Trump and Bulgari had a deal. As a way to illegally avoid paying the sales tax, normally a pretty large sum on expensive jewelry, Trump would “ask” the store to ship the jewelry to an out-of-state address so that sales tax would not be collected.
............

[Coyotl]

44. What the Trump Foundation controversies reveal about the candidate and his business acumen

What the Trump Foundation controversies reveal about the candidate and his business acumen

A surprising feature at the forefront of this year’s presidential election has been the philanthropic endeavors of the candidates.

The scrutiny of the Clinton Foundation is understandable given its large scale and worldwide focus. The attention surrounding Donald Trump’s charitable endeavors comes from different reasons: primarily a desire to examine his much-touted largesse and the rare public availability of financial statements that offer a window into his management approach.

Unlike Trump’s personal finances, piercing the veil surrounding his philanthropic activities has been more successful, in large part thanks to the one-person muckraking operation of the Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold. The reporting by him and others has followed three trajectories in questioning Trump’s charitable giving and his foundation: assessing its scale, examining funding sources and following the money. The critical coverage led the attorney general in Trump’s home state to open an inquiry and even put a halt to fundraising in New York. It’s also sown a lot of confusion about what it’s all about.

Relying on our experience with the accounting and regulatory rules for nonprofits, we’d like to clarify the Trump charity controversies and explain their potential significance. ...........