US House Democrats Seek Probe of Trump Charity’s Donation to Florida Official

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – All 16 Democrats on the US House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee have asked the US Department of Justice to investigate a $25,000 payment by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s charitable foundation in 2013 to a political organization supporting Florida’s Republican attorney general, according to a letter the legislators sent Tuesday.

"We write to ask that you investigate allegations of criminal misconduct surrounding the $25,000 donation from the Donald J. Trump Foundation to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi," the letter to US Attorney General Loretta Lynch stated.

The House members wrote that the payment may have influenced Bondi’s decision not to have Florida participate in a lawsuit filed by several US states against Trump University, which taught courses in real estate financing but is now defunct. The payment could have violated at least three federal criminal statutes, the Democrats asserted.

Trump has already paid a $2,500 fine to the US Internal Revenue Service and refunded his foundation for the amount of the donation because US law prohibits charities from contributing to political organizations.