May 21, 2016

REPORT: Trump Lied About How Much Was Raised For Veterans, Personal Donation Appears Missing

http://addictinginfo.org/2016/05/21/report-trump-lied-about-how-much-was-raised-for-veterans-personal-donation-appears-missing/
"On top of failing to pay charities for months after the fundraiser, despite already having beneficiaries listed, it turns out Donald Trump actually lied about how much was raised — to the tune of around a million and a half dollars. And now, four months later, his campaign is admitting it. In fact, as of this time, only a little over three million has actually been paid out, meaning it’s possible that even the new number given by the Trump’s campaign is false. That, or worse, it simply disappeared. According to his campaign, donations were pledged that were not received. But that begs the question: If $4.5 million was definitely raised, where did it go? In any case, the amount of time between the fundraiser and actually paying the money is questionable, and Trump has been called out by many people for it — including Sandra Miniutti, the vice president for Charity Navigator, a service that rates charities: Miniutti said some fundraisers rightfully take time to distribute payments if the recipients have to be vetted, such as after public emergencies, but she said Trump’s campaign established a clear list of organizations to benefit. “There is no hard rule for turn-around time, but because the fundraising was so public, I think it’s fair to question why the funds haven’t been paid out,” Miniutti said. (CNN) Trump has also been criticized by the founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Paul Rieckhoff, who tweeted at the time of the fundraiser that “We need strong policies from candidates, not to be used for political stunts.” VoteVets.org has also distanced itself from the candidate, and other organizations have made it clear that receiving donations does not indicate support for his policies. Trump’s support for veterans is a facade. He doesn’t care about veterans at all; he knows that expressing support for veterans is a surefire strategy in American politics."