Maxwell, who reviewed thousands of pages of documents released by Bondi’s office in response to his public records request, found references to scores of complaints about Trump’s seminars.
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Watkins said the Trump Foundation voided the original check that she returned, and that made it worthless, which is why the refund does not appear as a transaction on the committee’s finance reports.
The money came from a Trump family foundation in apparent violation of rules surrounding political activities by charities.
The Associated Press reported on Monday that Bondi solicited the donation personally, around the time her office was debating whether to join a NY state investigation into Trump’s defunct real estate training school.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is coming under fire for her decision to ask Donald Trump for a contribution around the same time her office was being asked about a NY investigation of alleged fraud at Trump University.
Ms. Bondi, who publicly touted her support for Mr. Trump before the Florida primary in March – is she campaigning for USA attorney general? – remains mum on the donation, except to say, “I never, nor was my office, investigating him”.
“The process took at least several weeks, from the time they spoke to the time they received the contribution”, Reichelderfer told the AP.
The timing of the donation by Trump is notable because the now presumptive Republican presidential nominee has said he expects and receives favors from politicians to whom he gives money.
“When I want something, I get it”, Trump said at a campaign rally in Iowa this past January.
It is insufficient for the attorney general to issue a statement saying, “These attacks are without merit and I am confident it will be shown they have no basis in fact”.
No one in Bondi’s office, nor those listed in IRS forms with “And Justice For All” – CPA Robert Watkins CPA and treasurer Nancy Watkins – returned WESH 2’s phone calls. He told The Associated Press that Bondi received Trump’s donation without knowing about the existence of the said complaints. Ivanka Trump, Donald’s daughter, gave Bondi $500 a week before her father’s $25,000 donation and gave another $25,000 to the Republican Party of Florida the following year. Still, the complaints about Trump University echoed those about Trump Institute: Consumers were invited to “free” seminars, then prodded to pay for more information. Many of the Trump-related consumers alleged that they paid money for training materials and personalized instruction that were never delivered.
She has already exchanged meetings with Donald Trump before her office dismissed the prospect of joining any legal investigation of Trump University. Fewer applied to Trump University, which is now the target of a lawsuit from New York’s attorney general.
In contrast, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, filed a still-pending lawsuit in 2013 alleging that Trump University bilked students out of $40 million. They also are calling for Bondi to return the $25,000 donation to Donald Trump.
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