You’ve probably heard by now that Donald Trump used $20,000 in money from his charitable foundation to buy a 6-foot-tall painting of himself. Sounds bad, right?
"Trump spent $20,000 of money earmarked for charitable purposes to buy a six-foot-tall painting of himself.” https://t.co/y0bY1efHwL
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 11, 2016
So, where did the “$20,000 earmarked for charitable purposes” end up? Is Trump busted?
Err, no. Not even close. The $20,000 ended up with the charity, right where it was supposed to:
Here's the check that @realdonaldtrump sent for that painting. Clearly came from his foundation, w/his signature. pic.twitter.com/YBqvIKwblh
— David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) September 14, 2016
Got that? Donald Trump’s foundation gives money to charities. Here’s the check to prove Donald Trump’s foundation gave $20,000 to the charity. What’s the problem?
The Washington Post, which broke this nothingburger of a story, has been on a quest to find the elusive painting, possibly tracking it to Trump golf course in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.:
Today I drove to Trump's golf course in Westchester to try to find a painting. I was not successful. https://t.co/fTRLkFuska
— Philip Bump (@pbump) September 14, 2016
But they wouldn’t let the reporter in:
I got this close. pic.twitter.com/NW5pP3AsNG
— Philip Bump (@pbump) September 14, 2016
The Post argues that the painting, if it’s hung on the wall at the golf course, violates IRS rules, and that’s why it’s a big deal:
If the painting is still hanging in the club, “it’s on display, in his business enterprise. It’s not on display in a charitable enterprise. It is arguably enhancing the experience of playing golf there,” said Marc Owens, the former director of the IRS division overseeing tax-exempt enterprises. “It’s not a charitable use. It is a noncharitable use.”
That’s all they got? Of all the things to focus on, this is incredibly stupid. Move on, guys.
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