DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is facing some serious allegations concerning a costly portrait of himself hanging at his South Florida golf resort.
The business tycoon is being accused of using Trump Foundation money to buy a portrait of himself and pay fines. The four-foot painting in question is reportedly hanging inside the Trump National Doral.
According to The Washington Post, the use of charity money, which is made up of donations by other people, is a potential tax law violation. “Well, the tax law says, if you run a charity, you can’t take the money out of your charity and use it to buy things for yourself or to help your own business,” said Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold during a CNN interview. “It’s called self-dealing, and it’s against the law.”
The Post said the Trump Foundation paid $10,000 for the portrait.
Another example, according to the Post article, is a flagpole at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach. The Town of Palm Beach said it was too high and fined Trump.
The candidate agreed to donate $100,000 to a charity, but he made the donation with Trump Foundation money, which, the Post said, is illegal.
Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s campaign manager, addressed the controversy on CNN. When asked whether she is concerned he may have broken the law, she replied, “This is a classic Donald Trump. He wanted to raise the American flag as high as he possibly could over Mar-a-Lago. I think a lot of Americans at this point would applaud that.”
Hillary Clinton’s campaign issued a statement that read, “Once again Trump has proven himself a fraud who believes the rules don’t apply to him.”
The Trump campaign also issued a statement. It read, “There was not, and could not be, any intent or motive for the Trump Foundation to make improper payments. All contributions are reported to the IRS, and all foundation donations are publicly disclosed.”
Campaign officials said the Post report is inaccurate, but they did not give examples.
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