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-- 2016 --
January 14: Until 2008, Trump Was a Big Democratic Donor
The Republican front-runner veered between political parties for two decades.
https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/articles/2016-01-14/donald-trump-donated-to-democrats-until-2008
April 8: A 93-page list of Donald Trump's charitable contributions from the last five years
This list includes 4,844 individual gifts, which add up to more than $102 million over five years. A Washington Post analysis found that the bulk of them were actually free rounds of golf, given away by Trump's courses for local charity auctions and raffles. In addition, the $26 million land donation at the top of the first page was actually from 2006, too old to be counted on the list
https://www.washingtonpost.com/apps/g/page/politics/a-93-page-list-of-donald-trumps-charitable-contributions-from-the-last-five-years/2013/
April 11: Donald Trump’s Charitable Donations Don’t Come From His Own Money
You've probably heard that Republican front-runner Donald Trump has a charitable foundation through which he donates to different causes. In fact, Trump's campaign claims he's given $102 million to charity in the past five years. The weird thing, though? According to The Washington Post, the Donald J. Trump Foundation doesn't really donate money from the pockets of Donald J. Trump.
https://www.gq.com/story/donald-trump-charitable-donations
April 25:
As it turns out, there are some things even Trump's money can't buy
May 31: Trump announced his gifts to veterans. Here’s what we learned.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
June 7: Trump Donation to Vets Charity: One Grantee’s Experience
Liberty House’s experience confirms many things we already knew or suspected about at least some of Trump’s donations to veterans’ charities. The vetting of Liberty House was so brief as to be almost nonexistent, at least as far as we can see; the Trump campaign wanted the award to be part of a political event; the money donated to Liberty House was not only not Trump’s, it never even passed through Trump’s foundation. But, on the other hand, this veteran’s group handled itself with sovereign dignity and financial wisdom when faced with a highly charged and politicized situation and this will likely serve them well with other donors.
https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2016/06/07/trump-donation-to-vets-charity-one-grantees-experience/
August 4: Donald Trump's campaign website won't let some cancel recurring donations
After investigating, Mic can confirm that there is no easy option to stop recurring donations on Trump's donation site: We set up a recurring donation of $1 and found no button or other obvious way to cancel payments or remove a credit card from the system — either on the homepage, the "update card" page, or in your contribution confirmation email.
Mic also made a $1 recurring contribution to the campaign for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and received a confirmation email that — by contrast — provides an email address for donors to write in with problems ... there's also an accessible option to remove your card from the site.
https://mic.com/articles/150640/donald-trump-donations-how-to-stop-recurring-payments-credit-cards#.3VvezcutM
August 31: Techies Donate to Clinton in Droves. To Trump? Not So Much
https://www.wired.com/2016/08/techies-donate-clinton-droves-trump-not-much/
September 6: Was Trump Fibbing About Buying Politicians Then or Now?
For months, the Republican nominee bragged that he had often paid officeholders for favors. Now that questions are swirling about Florida’s attorney general, he says that’s not the case.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/trump-buying-politicians/498749/
September 13: Donald Trump hasn’t donated to his own foundation since 2008, investigation finds
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/donald-trump-hasnt-donated-foundation-since-2008-investigation-finds
September 18: Trump Foundation donations go to Citizens United, kids with cancer
The Donald J. Trump Foundation gave away $158,250 in 2014 to fight cancer and other diseases, many of which target children, and donated $141,000 to groups that promote conservative social policy he would espouse in his presidential campaign a year later, state and federal records show.
After those two biggest groups of recipients, the Trump Foundation also gave $50,000 to Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in Manhattan, which his son attended, and $5,000 to one other school, a public high school in Florida with mostly African-American students; $41,000 split between two Jewish causes; $20,000 split among three veterans groups, and $5,000 to an environmental group that combats global warming, according to the foundation’s federal tax return filed with the state Charities Bureau.
https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/trump-foundation-donations-go-to-citizens-united-kids-with-cancer-1.12334126
September 23: After reportedly being stiffed by Trump, veterans charity rakes in donations
http://www.concordmonitor.com/Friends-of-Veterans-in-Vermont-did-not-get-money-from-Donald-Trump-4917041
September 24: Trump and the Truth: His Charitable Giving
https://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/trump-and-the-truth-his-charitable-giving
October 14: Donald Trump Accepted Public Thanks for Donating to 9/11 Charity in Months After Attacks, But City Review Finds No Evidence He Did So
The Trump campaign has not responded to multiple requests for comment from NBC 4 New York
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Donald-Trump-Claims-Donations-911-Charities-Controller-Audit-397031461.html
December 28: Donald Trump's False Bragging About His Charitable Giving
Once again, the president-elect is trying to mislead the public about his philanthropy.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/donald-trumps-mendacious-bragging-about-his-charitable-giving/511703/
-- 2017 --
Undated: In recent years, Marc and Lori Kasowitz have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican causes and to Donald Trump's presidential campaign. They have also donated to Democratic politicians in the past, including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Senators Chuck Schumer, and Harry Reid.[18]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Kasowitz
April 19: Companies That Made Big Donations To Trump Inauguration Are Benefiting From Presidency
Boeing, private prisons and chemical companies all gave significant cash gifts.
GEO Group, the nation’s second-largest private prison company, donated $250,000 to Trump’s inaugural committee. It had previously donated $225,000 to super PACs supporting his presidential campaign. Corrections Corporation of America in Tennessee, another private prison company, also gave $250,000 to the inaugural committee. Private prison companies have benefited significantly from Trump’s policies, perhaps more than any other private-sector industry. Under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Department of Justice ended the Obama administration’s policy of phasing out the use of private prisons for federal incarceration.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-inauguration-corporations_us_58f7abdde4b029063d36577f
April 19: Fossil Fuel Industries Pumped Millions Into Trump's Inauguration, Filing Shows
Among the big donors were Chevron, which gave $525,000; Exxon, BP and Citgo Petroleum, which each donated $500,000; and the Ohio-based coal company Murray Energy, which contributed $300,000. Kelcy Warren, the chief executive of Energy Transfer Partners, developer of the Dakota Access pipeline, gave $250,000. Continental Resources, the Oklahoma-based fracking company whose chief executive Harold Hamm was an early Trump supporter, gave $100,000.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19042017/fossil-fuels-oil-coal-gas-exxon-chevron-bp-donald-trump-inauguration-donations
May 9: Inside Donald Trump's History of Donations in Israel
From a now-defunct playground to irrigation tech for cosmetics: here are the pet projects Trump won’t see on his Israel visit
haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-inside-donald-trump-s-history-of-donations-in-israel-1.5469673
June 6: How Donald Trump Shifted Kids-Cancer Charity Money Into His Business
,,, while donors to the Eric Trump Foundation were told their money was going to help sick kids, more than $500,000 was re-donated to other charities, many of which were connected to Trump family members or interests, including at least four groups that subsequently paid to hold golf tournaments at Trump courses.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2017/06/06/how-donald-trump-shifted-kids-cancer-charity-money-into-his-business/#4a8f48366b4a
June 6: The Trumps funneled thousands in donations allegedly for St. Jude's into the Trump Organization as revenue
President Trump charged his son, Eric Trump, with holding charity events at the Trump Organization's golf courses, ultimately funneling thousands of dollars intended for child cancer research into the pockets of the family business, Forbes reports. Eric Trump has long told reporters that he used the family business' courses for free:
In the beginning, use of the golf club was relatively inexpensive. For the first several years of the Eric Trump Foundation's golf invitational, which raises money for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, tax filings showed expenses averaged around $50,000. But by 2011, costs jumped up to $142,000. "In the early years, they weren't being billed [for the club] — the bills would just disappear," the former membership and marketing director of Trump National Westchester, Ian Gillule, told Forbes. "Mr. Trump had a cow. He flipped. He was like, 'We're donating all of this stuff, and there's no paper trail? No credit?' And he went nuts. He said, 'I don't care if it's my son or not — everybody gets billed.'"
The Donald J. Trump Foundation even donated $100,000 to the Eric Trump Foundation, apparently to offset the newly bloated coasts, although that money ultimately went straight back into the Trump family's business as revenue.
http://theweek.com/speedreads/703775/trumps-funneled-thousands-donations-allegedly-st-judes-into-trump-organization-revenue
July 5: Trump salary, other donations to support Antietam preservation
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-antietam-preservation-announcement-20170705-story.html
August 29: ChirpChange lets you donate to charity each time Trump tweets
https://thenextweb.com/twitter/2017/08/29/chirpchange-donate-charity-each-time-trump-tweets/
September 6: Trump's Harvey relief donation looks paltry compared to other celebrity fundraising
https://mashable.com/2017/09/06/hurricane-harvey-relief-trump-donations/#iglRHDnPhqqX
September 2: Tech billionaire one-ups Trump’s Hurricane Harvey donation in a big way
After plenty of negative press coverage surrounding his ‘first-hand” experience of Hurricane Harvey, President Trump decided to solve the problem in the only way he knows how: a vague commitment of money. He pledged $1 million out of his own pocket to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey, a small but meaningful gesture from a man who values himself at over $1 billion.
But even giving out free cash isn’t a risk-free exercise for Trump. Michael Dell, a verifiable tech billionaire, has committed to giving $36 million towards relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey.
Trump has not been so specific in his donation. Press Secretary Sanders told the White House pool that the President hasn’t yet decided where to send the money, when the donation will be made, and whether it will be personal or through his foundation.
https://bgr.com/2017/09/02/trump-hurricane-harvey-donation-michael-dell/
September 5: Trump may not be able to donate money to Harvey victims after all
https://www.salon.com/2017/09/05/trump-may-not-be-able-to-donate-money-to-harvey-victims-after-all_partner/
September 21: White House walks back promise about Trump donating his ‘personal money’ to Harvey victims
A subtle but significant shift.
https://thinkprogress.org/white-house-walks-back-trumps-promise-to-give-1-million-of-his-personal-money-to-harvey-victims-4691cf5e6dd6/
October 12: Will Republicans Return Donations From Their Harvey Weinstein, a Guy Named Trump?
Okay, from what we know, Weinstein was worse. But sexual assault is sexual assault, and the president has admitted it. So why is his money okay?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/will-republicans-return-donations-from-their-harvey-weinstein-a-guy-named-trump
October 17: Trump's 2020 campaign is raising millions from small donors and spending it on legal fees
A retiree in Texas gave $3.75 for a fund that was in part redirected to attorneys battling the Russia probe.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/17/16487942/trump-2020-legal-fees
November 21: The Trump Foundation Stepped Up Its Donations During Campaign Season Scrutiny
http://fortune.com/2017/11/21/donald-trump-foundation-donations-scrutiny/
November 8: Trump Strategist Says Facebook Drove $280M in Donations
http://adage.com/article/digital/trump-media-strategist-facebook-generated-280m-donations/311226/
November 21: Over 1/3 Of All Donations To Trump Foundation In 2016 Came From Ike And Laura Perlmutter
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/11/21/1-3-donations-trump-foundation-2016-came-ike-laura-perlmutter/
December 16: Gillibrand gives away donations from Trump ... Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand turned over the cash President Donald Trump said she was "begging" for during her campaign to the country's largest anti-sexual violence organization.
The New York Democrat donated $5,850 to RAINN, which matches the money Trump donated in 2007 and 2010 to her campaign, her spokesman Glen Caplin confirmed Friday.
After Gillibrand called on Trump to resign due to multiple sexual harassment claims, he tweeted she used to come to his office "begging" for donations — calling her a "lightweight" who "would do anything" for the cash.
Gillibrand — considered to be a potential 2020 presidential candidate — has so far donated thousands to sexual assault groups to match money given to her campaigns by men accused of assault or harassment.
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Gillibrand-gives-away-donations-from-Trump-12435124.php
December 28: Charity donations likely to drop next year due to tax law
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/12/28/charity-donations-decline-donald-trump-tax-law/
-- 2018 --
January 8: California Bill Uses Donations to Avoid Trump Tax Changes
https://www.voanews.com/a/california-bill-donations-avoid-donald-trump-tax-changes/4198567.html
January 18: Trump’s top donors: Where are they now?
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/01/trump-donors-1-year-later/
January 24: Shark charities say they're getting stream of donations mentioning Trump
Shark-related nonprofits say they have received a stream of donations mentioning President Trump since an adult film star who allegedly had an affair with Trump said he told her he hoped sharks die.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have both said they have received a flood of donations since Trump's comments were reported, MarketWatch reported.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/370470-shark-charities-say-theyre-getting-stream-of-donations-mentioning
February 9: Trump’s tax code could hurt donations to lucrative college sports programs
Donors can no longer deduct gifts made to get access to prime seats for games
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trumps-tax-code-could-hurt-donations-to-these-lucrative-college-sports-progams-2018-02-06
February 17: How Trump is using campaign donations to enrich himself
https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/trump-2020-campaign-donations/
February 26: Trump Organization makes a big omission in announcing its donation of profits from foreign governments
The Trump Organization said Monday that the company, as President Donald Trump previously pledged, donated profits from foreign government officials patronizing its hotels to the Treasury Department, The Associated Press reported.
But the president's namesake business made a glaring omission from its declaration: It did not say how much money was donated.
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-organization-donated-profits-foreign-governments-treasury-2018-2
February 27: Since 2010, Donald Trump Jr., who graduated from the Wharton School in 2000, Ivanka Trump, who graduated from Wharton in 2004, and Tiffany Trump, who graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2016, could have contributed combined donations of anywhere between $10,001 to $22,743. Other documents, including University reports and tax filings from the Trump foundation show that their father may have donated up to $1.4 million to the University.
http://www.thedp.com/article/2018/02/trump-donald-tiffany-donate-penn-politics-ivanka-philadelphia-donations-wharton
February 28: Trump Family Donations To University of Pennsylvania
https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/college-admissions/trump-family-donations-university-pennsylvania/
April 10: Mueller Scrutinizing Ukrainian Magnate’s $150,000 Donation to Trump Foundation
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/04/mueller-scrutinizing-ukrainians-usd150-000-payment-to-trump.html
April 11: The Charitable Donations Donald Trump’s Been Bragging About Were Just Rounds of Golf and Other People’s Money
More than two-thirds of Trump’s reported donations were giveaways like free stays at his hotels and spa gift cards.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/04/donald-trump-charitable-donations-golf
April 16: Here Are The Law Firms Donald Trump Is Paying With His Campaign Donations
... around 20 percent of Trump’s campaign spending this year has gone to his legal fees. A big difference between Trump-the-Businessman versus Trump-the-President seems to be that President Trump actually pays his legal bills.
https://abovethelaw.com/2018/04/here-are-the-law-firms-donald-trump-is-paying-with-his-campaign-donations/
May 2: Roger Stone takes his 'legal defense fund' on the offensive: Trump confidant pleads for money to help sue his enemies
But while plugging his "legal defense fund," Stone has given discordant explanations for both the size and origin of his legal bills. He also told CNBC that he's planning to use donors' money to sue the government — a notion Stone omits from his appeals for money, which invariably paint him as the victim of a "nonstop onslaught of malicious attacks on every front."
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/02/trump-advisor-roger-stone-pleads-for-donations-to-help-sue-his-enemies.html
May 3: Trump Is Driving a Wave of Small-Dollar Donations for the Democrats
https://splinternews.com/trump-is-driving-a-wave-of-small-dollar-donations-for-t-1825741014
May 11: Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team has questioned several witnesses about millions of dollars in donations to President Donald Trump’s inauguration committee last year, including questions about donors with connections to Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, sources with direct knowledge told ABC News.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclusive-special-counsel-probing-donations-foreign-connections-trump/story?id=55054482
May 17: Trump donates quarterly salary to Veterans Affairs
Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie accepted the [$100,000] check at a White House press briefing and said the money will go toward mental health and peer support programs, financial aid, education training, and research.
Trump has donated each of his quarterly salary checks to federal agencies since taking office.
https://www.upi.com/Trump-donates-quarterly-salary-to-Veterans-Affairs/4211526598834/
June 1: CVS will no longer donate to pro-Trump 'dark money' group
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/lobbying/390266-cvs-will-no-longer-donate-to-pro-trump-dark-money-group
June 12: White House announces recipients of Trump $1 million Hurricane Harvey relief donation
http://krcrtv.com/news/nation-world/white-house-announces-recipients-of-trump-1-million-hurricane-harvey-relief-donation
June 16: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Inspired More Than $1,000,000 in ACLU Donations for Donald Trump's Birthday
"John and I are outraged to see and hear the horror stories of immigrant families seeking asylum and refuge in America being ripped apart due to the inhumane policies of the Trump administration. These actions are cruel, anti-family and go against everything we believe this country should represent. The ACLU is committed to defending the rights and humanity of these vulnerable families. In addition to fighting for immigrants’ rights they’re advocating for reproductive rights, voting rights, criminal justice reform, LGBT rights, 1st amendment rights and holding the Trump administration accountable whenever possible.
The President celebrates his 72nd birthday today. On this auspicious occasion, in order to Make Trump’s Birthday Great Again, each member of our family has donated $72,000 to the ACLU."
https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a21573020/chrissy-teigen-john-legend-aclu-donations-donald-trump-birthday/
June 25: Ivanka Trump Quietly Donates to Texas Church Caring for Migrant Children
https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2018/06/25/ivanka-trump-quietly-donates-to-texas-church-caring-for-migrant-children
June 25: Forget Bloomberg's $80M Donations, Liberal Trump Haters Should Just Buy Fox
We know the president has a complex and intimate relationship with Fox News. The channel feeds on his every move and he responds to the feedback. Until he sees it on Fox, it’s fake news.
The solution is simple. Buy out Fox and change the game. Interrupt the loop.
https://www.thewealthadvisor.com/article/forget-bloombergs-80m-donations-liberal-trump-haters-should-just-buy-fox
June 25: Trump tells Fallon 'be a man'; 'Tonight Show' host responds by donating to refugees
Jimmy Fallon's idea of acting like a man clearly differ from President Trump's
https://www.fox23.com/living/trump-tells-fallon-aposbe-a-manapos-apostonight-showapos-host-responds-by-donating-to-refugees/776657946
June 26: Tobacco Money Fuels Controversial Pro-Trump Policy Group
The country’s second-biggest tobacco company has been a top funder of the controversial “dark money” organization created to promote President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda, according to a MapLight review.
Reynolds American Inc., which manufactures Newport and Camel cigarettes, disclosed last week that it donated $1.5 million to America First Policies in 2017. Created by former Trump campaign officials, the nonprofit has faced criticism for the racist, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic views expressed by its staff.
While America First Policies raised $26 million last year, three Fortune 500 companies said earlier this month that they would no longer give money to the organization after MapLight reported on their donations. Two officials have left the group in recent weeks.
The donation from Reynolds is the largest known contribution to America First Policies, which does not disclose its donors to the public. Reynolds also gave $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee. Cigarette smoking kills more than 480,000 Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Dark money groups are often used to disguise the support for candidates or officeholders from unsavory industries," said Brendan Fischer, a lawyer at the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center in Washington, D.C. "Trump may not want to be publicly associated with the tobacco industry, but the tobacco industry certainly wants Trump's support for their agenda."
https://maplight.org/story/tobacco-money-fuels-controversial-pro-trump-policy-group/
October 16: Trump raises $100M for reelection bid
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/411559-trump-raises-100m-for-reelection-bid
October 19: Small-dollar donations explode in the Trump era
An explosion of small-dollar donations has become an increasingly powerful force in campaign politics, reflecting the sharp partisan divide under President Trump.
On the Democratic side, liberal fury with Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress has been reflected in the form of millions of low-dollar donations to Democratic candidates in House and Senate races.
... a lot of ... candidates have pledged not to take corporate PAC money and I think this backs up the idea that there’s a ton of enthusiasm for candidates who are going to reject corporate PAC money.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/412231-small-dollar-donations-explode-in-the-trump-era
November 6: Hedge fund manager Robert Mercer may be the most influential political donor of the Trump era. Though fellow hedge fund manager Tom Steyer and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson have given far more money, their investments were not as well targeted.
Mercer, who’s net worth is unknown, was Donald Trump’s biggest donor ahead of the 2016 election, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Along with his wife Diana, Mercer gave a total of $15.5 million, of which that vast majority went to a super PAC to support Trump called Make America Number 1.
https://qz.com/1451236/robert-mercer-trumps-biggest-donor-is-at-it-again-in-2018/
November 25: Trump's tax cuts diminished deductibility for charitable donations
One huge change this year is in the tax code. The Trump tax cuts increased the standard deduction and therefore make it less likely that you'll be able to deduct your charitable donations. Only about 11% of households are likely to itemize their taxes this year, down from 26.4% last year.
The big picture: The tax break for charitable contributions has always been a tax break only for the minority of Americans who itemize. Households earning more than $1 million per year nearly always itemize. They accounted for 30% of itemized charitable donations in 2015; expect that number to rise even further.
https://www.axios.com/tax-deductability-charitable-donations-trump-cuts-bb903729-c0f5-4f8b-bafb-38ba54a64807.html
December 18: Trump Foundation To Dissolve Amid New York AG's Investigation
New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood has announced that the Trump Foundation will dissolve. The foundation was established by Donald Trump well before he ran for president.
The news comes as her office continues its investigation into various questions about the foundation's conduct, including whether the foundation broke the law by coordinating with Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and whether it was truly functioning as a charitable organization.
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/18/677778958/trump-foundation-to-dissolve-amid-new-york-ags-investigation
-- 2019 --
-- 2020 --
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