Donald Trump

Eric Trump Denies Report His Foundation Passed Profits From Charity Fundraisers to Trump Organization

"Contrary to recent reports, at no time did the Trump Organization profit in any way from the foundation or any of its activities," a representative for Eric Trump said in a statement

Eric Trump, the son of President Donald Trump, has denied that the family business profited from his charity golf tournaments, as alleged in a recent Forbes report.

The report, based on financial filings and interviews, found the Donald J. Trump Foundation "apparently used the Eric Trump Foundation to funnel $100,000 in donations into revenue for the Trump Organization," and that more than $500,000 raised by Eric Trump's charity was passed on to other charities, some connected to the Trump family or interests.

The report, published in the June 29 issue of Forbes, is an investigation of the Eric Trump Foundation golf invitational, held annually at New York's Trump National Golf Club, which Eric Trump told Forbes could be used for free.

Examining IRS filings, the report found $1.2 million in expenses that had no documented recipients and that costs for the tournament jumped in 2011, around the same time Donald Trump was said to begin insisting that the charity pay for using the club and the foundation's board swelled, adding several people who were connected to the Trump Organization.

"You're dealing with people talking about the event and the charity who also at the same time are thinking about it as a corporation and as a business," Patrick Langan, the club's former director of golf, told Forbes. "It's a for-profit club. You know, they're trying to make money."

But a representative for Eric Trump said that inferring malicious intent from a charity "is not only shameful but is truly disgusting" and denied that the Trump Organization made money from the events.

"Contrary to recent reports, at no time did the Trump Organization profit in any way from the foundation or any of its activities," the representative said, noting that Eric Trump's foundation has raised more than $16 million for St. Jude Children's Reseach hospital.

"The Eric Trump Foundation was also responsible for building a $20 million dollar ICU which treats the sickest children anywhere in the world suffering from the most catastrophic terminal illnesses," the statement said.

The press secretary for New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Amy Spitalnick, gave this statement when asked about the Forbes report: "The Attorney General’s investigation into the Trump Foundation remains ongoing. The Foundation’s fundraising has been suspended since the Attorney General issued a notice of violation last fall, and it cannot legally dissolve until our investigation is complete."

Spitalnick had no comment when asked about allegations from the Forbes report, which said the accounting "seems to defy federal tax rules and state laws that ban self-dealing and misleading donors."

Trump said he'd dissolve the Donald J. Trump Foundation in December, but was blocked by Schneiderman's investigation. At the time, Trump said it operated "at essentially no cost for decades, with 100 percent of the money going to charity."

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