To the Editor:

Recently I saw video on TV featuring Donald Trump saying the following words: "There’s nothing like doing things with other people’s money."

On Sept. 20, an article written by David Fahrenthold appeared in the Washington Post stating "Donald Trump spent more than a quarter-million dollars from his charitable foundation to settle lawsuits that involved the billionaire’s for-profit businesses… expenditures in which Trump may have violated laws against ‘self-dealing’ – which prohibit nonprofit leaders from using charity money to benefit themselves or their businesses."

The article mentions Trump has made no donations to his foundation since 2008. Since then "the money has come from other donors…." Essentially, that means that the money in the Trump Foundation is comprised, either entirely or partially, of other people’s money.

The article continues to cite the following examples:

? In 2007, his Mar-a-Lago Club was fined by the city of Palm Beach for $120,000. The city agreed to waive the fine if the Club made a charitable donation of $100,000. The donation, a business expense, was not funded by the Club. It was taken from the Trump Foundation.

? One of Trump’s golf courses in New York settled a lawsuit by donating $158,000 to a charity. Again, the donation came from the Trump Foundation.

? In 2013, the Foundation gave $25,000 to a political group supporting Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi. At that time, Bondi’s office was considering whether to investigate fraud allegations against Trump University. Following the donation there was no investigation.

The Foundation has also paid $20,000 for a six foot-tall portrait of Trump, $12,000 for a football helmet signed by Tim Tebow and $5,000 for advertisements for the Trump hotel chain.

This is the man who accuses Hillary Clinton of corruption involving the Clinton Foundation!

The Clinton Foundation has not been used for the benefit of the Clintons. They take no salaries. The Clinton Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding that Hillary would take no part in their activities during her term as Secretary of State (2009-2013). There is no evidence of "pay for play" The foundation has an A rating from Charity Watch, a 4/4 rating from Charity Navigator, and a Platinum rating from Guiding Star.

Jane Boyer

Bedford