Right now on CNN - Trump Foundation to CEASE solicitations per NY AC

[csziggy]

11. Good question!

Here is the agency that is supposed to keep track of this stuff: https://www.charitiesnys.com/home.html

It's interesting - the foundation filed paperwork with the office for many years (https://www.charitiesnys.com/RegistrySearch/show_details.jsp?id={412967CE-87D6-4FAF-A0E2-58CF382F8F53}). Looking at the 2014 form only EPTL was selected:

EPTL
EPTL registrants are registered under the New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law, which governs charitable activity in New York State.
Examples of EPTL registrants include but are not limited to New York-based charitable organizations, out-of-state charities that conduct business or maintain assets in New York, and New York trusts and estates that have a present charitable interest.
https://www.charitiesnys.com/RegistrySearch/glossary.jsp?anchor=EPTL#EPTL

There is an option to select 7A or "dual - both 7A and EPTL.

7A
7A Article 7-A registrants are registered under Article 7-A of the New York Executive Law, which governs the solicitation of contributions (including grants) from New York State sources (including without limitation residents, foundations, corporations and government agencies).

Examples of Article 7-A registrants include but are not limited to fund raising professionals (professional fund raisers, fund raising counsel and professional solicitors) and New York-based or out-of-state charitable organizations, social welfare organizations, fraternal organizations, unions, business leagues, social clubs or other nonprofits that solicit contributions from New York State sources beyond their own membership.https://www.charitiesnys.com/RegistrySearch/glossary.jsp#glossarypage

If they had selected dual there would be no problem. It seems the Trump Foundation was intended to be a family foundation - one that a family contributes to and then distributes money to other charities. In one of the discussions about the Clinton Foundation it was mentioned that the Clintons have a family foundation that works in just that way. No money other than family money goes into the Clinton family foundation from what was said.

Money that the Clintons raised from other sources went into the Clinton Foundation. With all the scrutiny given to it, if their public foundation did not have the proper certifications that would have come out by now. Every recent filing by the Clinton Foundation is available on their website and can be and probably has been examined.

But the Trumps did not run the Trump Foundation as solely a family foundation especially over the last ten or fifteen years despite the designation on their filings. Trump has contributed little or no money to the foundation, he solicited funds from the public without getting the proper certification, and he used the money as his own personal slush fund.