WIN. Win. Win. No matter what the cost. No matter what the laws are. No matter what the truth is. Just to win. Win. Win.
This appears to be the motto of Donald Trump as a person, as a businessman, as a candidate for the most powerful position in the nation, and as president of the United States.
A whole newspaper won’t be able to contain all that Trump did to support what I wrote above. Let us just focus for now on this latest news.
New York State Judge Saliann Scarpulla “ordered President Donald Trump to pay $2 million to a collection of nonprofit organizations in connection with a settlement with the New York state attorney general’s office to resolve a civil lawsuit alleging the foundation unlawfully coordinated with the 2016 Trump presidential campaign.”
As CNN reported, Justice Scarpulla wrote in her decision that came out on Thursday, November 7, that “Mr. Trump breached his fiduciary duty to the Foundation,” including by “allowing his campaign to orchestrate” a televised fundraiser ostensibly for the foundation in Des Moines, Iowa, in January 2016, and allowing the campaign to direct the distribution of the money raised from that event “to further Mr. Trump’s political campaign.”
As in so many cases filed against him and his business empire, Trump settled before a decision was made.
You would recall how in June of 2018, a lawsuit was filed alleging that Trump and his three eldest children — Don Jr., Ivanka and Eric — “violated federal and state campaign finance laws and abused the Donald J. Trump Foundation’s tax-exempt status.”
CNN further reported that the lawsuit alleged that Trump and his three eldest children “allowed the foundation to be used “as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trump’s business and political interests.”
Trump then vowed to fight the lawsuit and in a tweet even said, “I won’t settle this case!”
But the judge wrote in her decision that in October, the lawyers on both sides — The attorney general’s office and Trump’s lawyers — came to a “consensual resolution of the bulk of this proceeding” and agreed that the judge would determine the amount of damages Trump would be required to pay.
True to his character of maligning and mischaracterizing any person, official, or institution that puts him in a bad light, casting himself as the victim and the underdog, Trump said in a statement after the decision came out on Thursday night that “the New York Attorney General is deliberately mischaracterizing this settlement for political purposes” and that all money in the foundation has gone to charity.
Take note that “the settlement comes in the wake of an agreement by the foundation in December to dissolve under judicial supervision,” CNN reported.
“The court’s decision, together with the settlements we negotiated, are a major victory in our efforts to protect charitable assets and hold accountable those who would abuse charities for personal gain,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
“My office will continue to fight for accountability because no one is above the law — not a businessman, not a candidate for office, and not even the President of the United States.”
WHEN ARE YOU MAKING THIS PRESIDENT ACCOUNTABLE? Up to when will you give him a pass in all his actions and words that are beneath the honor and dignity of the Office of the President of the United States? Up to when will you condone and enable him? Wake up!
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Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at [email protected], or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
