Donald Trump may have used $12,000 in funds from his charity to purchase a football helmet and jersey signed by former Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, the Washington Post reported on Friday.
According to the Post, Trump placed a bid of $12,000 for the autographed items during a charity auction for the Susan G. Komen organization in 2012. He later wrote a check from his own nonprofit, the Donald J. Trump Foundation, to pay for the helmet and jersey he’d won.
The latest report raises additional questions about Trump’s philanthropic endeavors. For years, the billionaire has vowed to contribute portions of his earnings from books and other Trump brand products to charity, but the last donation from his nonprofit was reportedly made in 2008.
In addition to the discrepancies involving what Trump claims he’s contributed to charity versus what public records show, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee may have violated federal tax laws by purchasing the Tebow-autographed items with funds from his charitable foundation.
“That would be a classic violation of the prohibition on a charity being operated for the private inurement (benefit) of the charity’s creator,” Brett Kappel, an expert on tax-exempt organizations, told the Post.
A spokeswoman for the Trump campaign could not be reached for comment. Trump has repeatedly declined to release his tax returns, which would detail his charitable contributions, until they are no longer being audited by the IRS.
