Donald Trump and Pam Bondi: Candidate Dismisses Questions Around Donation Tied to Florida Attorney General

Donald Trump dismissed allegations of impropriety on Monday, saying his foundation's $25,000 donation to Florida's attorney general had nothing to do with her office mulling an investigation into Trump University.

The Republican candidate's press secretary confirmed to NBC News that Trump paid a $2,500 fine over the donation to a campaign group linked to AG Pam Bondi.

News of the fine — levied after an ethics group complained that the donation had not been disclosed to tax officials — was first reported by The Washington Post. A Trump Organization confirmed the candidate reimbursed the foundation for the fine.

The newspaper also reported that Trump's foundation listed the donation as intended for a charity with a different — albeit similar — name to Bondi's political group.


Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks confirmed to NBC News that Trump had paid the fine but dismissed the incident as "minor."

"This was a minor issue that was brought to the attention of the Foundation and addressed immediately," Hicks said in a statement.

The $25,000 donation came from the tax-exempt Donald J. Trump Foundation on Sept. 17, 2013, four days after it was reported that Bondi's office was considering whether to investigate fraud allegations against Trump University, the Associated Press reported earlier this year.

Bondi, who has endorsed Trump, did not open a case against the tycoon.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-pam-bondi-candidate-dismisses-questions-around-donation-tied-n643211