From the September 12 edition of CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360:
CNN Report On Trump Foundation: Trump Takes Donor Money And “Puts His Name On It And Gives It To Other People”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
DREW GRIFFIN: Anderson, we took a look at the Trump Foundation's tax records and Donald Trump hasn't given any of his own money to the foundation that bears his name since his last donation in 2008. Now, before that, he did give a significant amount, more than $2.7 million of his own money, now, from 2001 to 2008, but where does the money in his foundation come from now? First of all, it is not a lot of money in this foundation Anderson. There's just over a million dollars in the latest tax returns. Trump has gotten individual donations from NBC, $500,000 in 2012. A year earlier, Comedy Central give him $400,000. 2009, World Wrestling Entertainment gave $1 million. All entities that had business with him, Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER (HOST): So Trump takes that money, that organizations give, and what does he do with it?
GRIFFIN: That's one of the rubs. In cases, if not all the recent ones, he takes the money that's been donated to his foundation, puts his name on it and gives it to other people. So he uses other people's money to make donations to others.
COOPER: So who are they giving that money to?
GRIFFIN: Honestly, it's pretty broad. Not specific. In fact, the Trump Foundation widely reported as giving money to the Clinton Foundation. But also $100,000 to Citizens United Foundation. That's the conservative political group whose president just joined Trump's campaign. For two years, listen to this Anderson, the Trump Foundation gave liberally to the Palm Beach Police Foundation and the group holds its policeman ball at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. There's a picture of Trump and his wife, Melania at the ball in 2011. But get this,Trump's Mar-a-Lago actually charged the Police Foundation for using the ballroom. And it wasn't a small around. The tax records show the Police Foundation paid Trump more than $500,000 for just two balls held at the club.
Previously:
Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold Exposes The Fraudulent Nature Of Trump’s Charitable Foundation
Broadcast News Outlets Essentially Ignored Trump Pay For Play Until This Weekend