The Trump Foundation was fined $2,500 in an actual pay-to-play scheme in Florida, according to a bombshell report by the Washington Post.
In 2013, the foundation sent a $25,000 donation to Pam Bondi, Florida's attorney general, for her re-election campaign, according to the report. Foundations which are tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code are not permitted to make donations to political candidates, but the Trump Foundation did it anyway. Maybe Donald didn't have the cash on hand.
Trump was very interested in supporting Bondi's bid for election, because there was a Trump University case pending before her office at the very same time. After receiving that sizable donation, Bondi declined to prosecute the case.
That is, my friends, a genuine pay-to-play arrangement right there. Quid pro quo, writ large. The only mistake Trump made was giving the money from a prohibited entity, which generated a query and a fine.
The Clinton campaign released a statement today about it:
In response to a new Washington Post report revealing that the Internal Revenue Service has fined Donald Trump for using funds from his charitable foundation to make a campaign donation to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Hillary for America Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri released the following statement:
"Donald Trump has been falsely attacking the charity run by President Clinton when it is Trump's own Foundation that has been caught in an actual pay-to-play scandal.
"While the Clinton Foundation has received the highest ratings from independent charitable watchdogs, Donald Trump's use of foundation money to donate to the Florida Attorney General actually broke the law. Worst of all, it appears the payment may have been intended to stave off an investigation into the sham Trump University that has ripped off unsuspecting students.
"Donald Trump has no standing whatsoever to question the Clinton Foundation, which works to make AIDS and malaria drugs more accessible, when it's been proven he uses his own foundation to launder illegal campaign donations."
But, you may wonder, why are there no front-page stories on the New York Times about this terrible pay-to-play scheme between Trump and government officials? I'm wondering the very same thing.
And why isn't Jason Chaffetz promising an investigation immediately? Or barring that, Rick Scott? I think we all know the answer to that.