Trump plans to close charitable foundation amid scrutiny
President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to shut down his charitable foundation, a decision that comes after repeated controversies over how it collected and disbursed funds.
In a statement Saturday, Trump offered no timeline for when his foundation would close down, but said he had directed his attorney to take the steps needed to close the charity. It was also not clear when the foundation would be able to dissolve, given an ongoing investigation in New York.
“The Foundation has done enormous good works over the years in contributing millions of dollars to countless worthy groups, including supporting veterans, law enforcement officers and children,” Trump said in the statement. “However, to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as President I have decided to continue to pursue my strong interest in philanthropy in other ways.”
The Donald J. Trump Foundation has come under scrutiny this year after media reports detailing its practices, including cases in which Trump apparently used the charity's money to settle lawsuits involving his businesses.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has been investigating the charity after some reports, and a spokeswoman for that office said the foundation could not shut down until that probe is over.
“The Trump Foundation is still under investigation by this office and cannot legally dissolve until that investigation is complete,” spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick said in an email.
From 2009 to 2014, Trump told the Internal Revenue Service that he'd given his foundation no money. The biggest donors in recent years were Vince and Linda McMahon, the pro-wrestling moguls, who gave the Trump Foundation $5 million between 2007 and 2009. Trump recently nominated Linda McMahon to head the Small Business Administration.
The Trump foundation has no paid employees and a board of five, consisting of Trump, three of his children and a longtime Trump Organization employee.
The foundation told the IRS it had $1.16 million in total assets by the end of 2015, the most recent tax filing available. A Trump spokeswoman said they had no additional information regarding where any remaining money might be sent.