Donald Trump's Charity Bought His Portrait for $10,000 as No One Else Bid at the Auction, His Lawyer Reveals
The revelations came during arguments over a New York Attorney General lawsuit against questionable activities of the Donald J Trump Foundation before and during the Presidential campaign.
The revelations came during arguments over a New York Attorney General lawsuit against questionable activities of the Donald J Trump Foundation before and during the Presidential campaign.
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In an embarrassing revelation for US President Donald Trump, his family lawyer told a Manhattan judge on Thursday that his charity had to buy a 10,000 USD portrait of Trump at an auction in 2014 as no one else bid for it.
During the hearing of a litigation brought by the New York State Attorney General General Barbara Underwood against the Donald J Trump Foundation, the charity owned by the POTUS, his lawyer Alan Futerfas told Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Saliann Scarpulla that the Foundation had never intended to buy the controversial 6 ft oil canvas during a charity auction Trump organised in Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach Florida. The painting had been created by some artists who brought it to the auction. The proceeds from the painting benefited another non-profit organisation, The Guardian reported.
The Foundation is currently being prosecuted for 'suspect spending' and the purchase of the 6 ft painting is one of the Foundation's activities that are currently under the scanner. It has been alleged that the Foundation's money was used to pump Trump's campaign and pay off his creditors before the elections. During arguments of the litigation Futerfas, however, told the judge that the Foundation only made the purchase as it had initially put in the first bid to get the ball rolling but sadly, no one else bid on the portrait.
The revelations were made in favour of scrapping the Underwood lawsuit as a politically motivated attempt by the Democrats to undermine Trump's presidency. Futerfas claimed that the transactions that were at the heart of the investigations against the foundation were usually made out of 'innocent' reasons. Other aspects of the Foundation's transactions being investigated include a 10,000 USD payment to $100,000 Mar-a-Lago legal settlement and other donations to charitable organisations made, allegedly in order to boost Trump's profile as a Presidential candidate.
While Futerfas categorically denied the allegation, claiming that Trump was 'stuck' with the painting, the artwork itself which Trump hung in a restaurant in his Miami golf resort, has been causing a lot of chatter on social media.
During the hearing of a litigation brought by the New York State Attorney General General Barbara Underwood against the Donald J Trump Foundation, the charity owned by the POTUS, his lawyer Alan Futerfas told Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Saliann Scarpulla that the Foundation had never intended to buy the controversial 6 ft oil canvas during a charity auction Trump organised in Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach Florida. The painting had been created by some artists who brought it to the auction. The proceeds from the painting benefited another non-profit organisation, The Guardian reported.
The Foundation is currently being prosecuted for 'suspect spending' and the purchase of the 6 ft painting is one of the Foundation's activities that are currently under the scanner. It has been alleged that the Foundation's money was used to pump Trump's campaign and pay off his creditors before the elections. During arguments of the litigation Futerfas, however, told the judge that the Foundation only made the purchase as it had initially put in the first bid to get the ball rolling but sadly, no one else bid on the portrait.
The revelations were made in favour of scrapping the Underwood lawsuit as a politically motivated attempt by the Democrats to undermine Trump's presidency. Futerfas claimed that the transactions that were at the heart of the investigations against the foundation were usually made out of 'innocent' reasons. Other aspects of the Foundation's transactions being investigated include a 10,000 USD payment to $100,000 Mar-a-Lago legal settlement and other donations to charitable organisations made, allegedly in order to boost Trump's profile as a Presidential candidate.
While Futerfas categorically denied the allegation, claiming that Trump was 'stuck' with the painting, the artwork itself which Trump hung in a restaurant in his Miami golf resort, has been causing a lot of chatter on social media.
Hey @Fahrenthold just checked and the portrait is still hanging at the Champions Lounge. How much did you say it cost the Trump Foundation? pic.twitter.com/hGAun6KgCO
— Enrique Acevedo (@Enrique_Acevedo) September 21, 2016
“So Mr. Trump donates $10,000 to start the bidding, and then when the bidding goes on and no one else bids, they’re stuck with the painting,” his attorney Alan Futerfas told Manhattan Supreme Court. https://t.co/K2mDUGnMBF @Fahrenthold
— Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanNYT) October 26, 2018
Prosecutors say Trump also used charitable foundation money to pay off his creditors https://t.co/AiJhc42Bsn
— New York Post (@nypost) October 25, 2018
Our crook in the West Wing. The Trump Crime Family https://t.co/qOZpKYc0DT
— Stone Cold (@stonecold2050) October 26, 2018