If you run a non-profit and want a clear example of how NOT to manage it, there is no better example than the Trump Foundation. Improper fund use, self-dealing allegations and failure to pay federal income taxes are just a few of the problems that the Trump Foundation has at best, ignorantly, and at worst, intentionally, created for Trump.
From Talking Points Memo:
It’s not just where the money went from the Donald Trump Foundation that’s drawing scrutiny to GOP nominee. It’s also how the money came in.
A new Washington Post report this week presented cases where Trump directed third parties to pay monies owed to him or his businesses directly to the Donald J. Trump Foundation--monies that arguably should have been taxed as income to Trump.
The Trump campaign has said that the payments were all aboveboard and proper, and slammed the Post's reporter for trafficking in speculation about possible but not proven legal problems. All of this comes against the backdrop of Trump refusing to release his tax returns, a stance unprecedented among modern major party presidential nominees. Without those tax returns, the exact handling of the payments and any associated taxes remains murky.
But tax experts interviewed by TPM said the new revelations by the Post include a number of red flags. At best, the practice could be described as sloppy and driven by an extreme ignorance of the law, the experts said. At worst, it fits into a pattern of using the charity as a personal piggy bank. On their own, such allegations could be dealt with a minor slap on the wrist, but coupled with the Post’s previously surfaced examples of Trump using foundation money for his own benefit they fuel major concerns about how Trump’s charity has operated.For more on the story, click here.
Jiminian Law PLLC is devoted to helping clients form and manage their nonprofits and address issues that arise with them. With nonprofits matters, it is always best to be pre-emptive by crafting and implementing a great nonprofit business plan. That is where I can come in, helping your nonprofit get on the right path from the get-go. Providing knowledgeable and effective consultation and representation are the keys to my success. Danny Jiminian, Esq. is available for a free consultation if you call him at 917.388.3574 or 929.322.3546 or email him at danny@djimlaw.com.