NEW YORK – The Trump family and their foundation have been ordered to pay over $2 million in damages following a lawsuit for illegally misusing charitable funds. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the outcome after Donald J. Trump was found to have misused funds from the Trump Foundation for political purposes.
“The Trump Foundation was shut down due to its misconduct, and the president has been compelled to pay $2 million for misusing charitable funds for political gain,” stated Attorney General James. “Charities should not be used as instruments for personal or political objectives. These damages highlight the president’s abuse of power and represent a victory for law-abiding non-profits. The funds are now directed to eight reputable charities where they rightfully belong. My office remains committed to upholding accountability, ensuring that no one, regardless of their status—be it a businessman, a political candidate, or even the President of the United States—is above the law.”
This ruling stems from a lawsuit resolution announced on November 7th, which mandated Trump to pay a total of $2 million, allocating $250,000 to each of eight designated charities. These charities include Army Emergency Relief, the Children’s Aid Society, Citymeals-on-Wheels, Give an Hour, Martha’s Table, the United Negro College Fund, the United Way of National Capital Area, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Furthermore, Trump was required to reimburse the Trump Foundation $11,525 for expenditures on sports memorabilia and champagne at a charity gala. This amount was added to the foundation’s existing bank account balance of $1,797,598.30, resulting in a total of $1,809,123.30. This sum was then equally divided and disbursed to the eight pre-selected charities, with each receiving $476,140.41.
As part of the settlement, Donald Trump acknowledged 19 admissions admitting to the misuse of funds within the Trump Foundation. The agreement also imposes restrictions on his future involvement with charitable organizations and necessitates ongoing reporting to the Attorney General’s Office should he establish a new charity. Additionally, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump were mandated to undergo training, which they have completed. The Trump Foundation was officially dissolved under court supervision last December as part of the settlement terms.
