Petition to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch:
"Please immediately launch an investigation into whether Donald Trump's campaign contribution to support Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi – and her ensuing decision to nix an investigation into Trump University – violated bribery law."
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office said it was looking into consumer complaints of possible fraud by Trump University and the Trump Institute in September 2013.1
Just four days later, after a personal phone call from Pam Bondi to Donald Trump, the Trump Foundation cut a $25,000 check to Bondi’s PAC.2
The possible investigation into Trump University? Quickly dropped for “insufficient grounds.”
This story has burst into the national news – and the New York Times is reporting that depending on what was said during that phone call, Trump’s donation may meet the legal standard for bribery.3
Sign the petition to demand an independent, federal investigation into whether Donald Trump and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi violated bribery law.
It wasn’t long ago that Trump was bragging about using campaign contributions to buy off politicians. According to him, “When you give, they do whatever the hell you want them to do.”4
It sure looks like that’s what happened here. And in this case, it could be illegal.
Here’s what the New York Times has to say:
“If Ms. Bondi promised to back off the Trump University suit in exchange for campaign money during that 2013 phone conversation, it could be a crime.”5
Even one of the Washington Post’s main conservative columnists agrees, asking “Why isn’t Trump facing a bribery investigation?”6
We need an outcry demanding that this controversy immediately gets a serious, independent investigation.
Sign the petition to demand an independent, federal investigation into whether Donald Trump and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi violated bribery law.
We already know that Trump’s donation broke the law in one way – nonprofits like the Trump Foundation can’t legally make political donations.
Trump just paid a $2,500 penalty to the IRS after a campaign finance watchdog filed a complaint,7 with his campaign blaming the problems on “clerical errors.”8
But his foundation still hasn’t asked for the required refund of the illegal contribution from Pam Bondi’s group.9
And after she dropped the case, Trump and his daughter gave $125,000 to the Republican Party of Florida and hosted a fundraiser for her tough re-election campaign at his resort in Mar-a-Lago.10
The media have heavily covered Trump’s allegations of influence buying at the Clinton Foundation, but until recently they’ve been quiet about Trump’s pay-to-play donation in Florida. It’s time for that to change.
Sign the petition to demand an independent, federal investigation into whether Donald Trump and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi violated bribery law.
Sources:
1. NY Times, “Pay to Play, Mr. Trump?,” Sept 6, 2016.
2. Associated Press, “Florida AG asked Trump for donation before nixing fraud case ,” June 6, 2016.
3. NY Times, “Pay to Play, Mr. Trump?,” Sept 6, 2016.
4. Wall Street Journal, “Donald Trump Walks Back His Past Praise of Hillary Clinton,” July 29, 2015.
5. NY Times, “Pay to Play, Mr. Trump?,” Sept. 6, 2016.
6. Washington Post, “Why isn’t Trump facing a bribery investigation?,” Sept. 7, 2016.
7. Washington Post, “Trump pays IRS a penalty for his foundation violating rules with gift to aid Florida attorney general,” Sept. 1, 2016.
8. Washington Post, “Trump camp says $25,000 charity contribution to Florida AG was a mistake ,” March 22, 2016.
9. Washington Post, “Trump pays IRS a penalty for his foundation violating rules with gift to aid Florida attorney general,” Sept. 1, 2016.
10. Huffington Post, “Trump Held Fundraiser For Pam Bondi At His Palm Beach Mansion After She Passed On Lawsuit,” Sept. 6, 2016.