Trump Foundation’s Fate Underscores Gravity of Improper Political Activity by 501(c)(3)s

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 18, 2018 – Following today’s announcement that the Trump Foundation will close its doors as it faces a lawsuit by the New York attorney general, Bolder Advocacy Director Abby Levine released the following statement:

“This is an important development that underscores once again the gravity of keeping charitable organizations from becoming illegally entangled in politics, and how seriously the law takes violations. Federal tax law prohibits all 501(c)(3)s, including private foundations, from participating in any campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office, which is just one of the abuses alleged by the New York attorney general in this case. Clearly, the Trump Foundation represents a unique case. The attorney general’s investigation has revealed that the foundation ceded control of millions of dollars raised by the 501(c)(3) to the Trump campaign team. Thankfully, most organizations do not operate with the total disregard for the law that the Trump Foundation seems to have shown.”

For more on the Trump Foundation lawsuit, read our Bolder Advocacy blog post, here.

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