Donald Trump says he never spoke to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi about a $25,000 donation from his foundation that arrived at the same time she was deciding whether to investigate Trump University.
{mosads}”I never spoke to her. First of all, she’s a fine person, beyond reproach,” Trump told reporters Monday, according to CBS’ Sopan Deb. “I never even spoke to her about it at all.”
An official at the Trump Organization told the Washington Post that Trump had paid the IRS a $2,500 penalty this year, following revelations that the GOP nominee’s charitable foundation had given an illegal political donation in 2013 to a campaign group linked to Bondi.
Florida’s attorney general was, at the time, weighing whether to investigate fraud claims by former students of Trump University.
Bondi ultimately decided not to pursue the case; Trump said Monday that this had nothing to do with his foundation’s donation to a campaign group tied to Bondi.
“Many of the attorneys general turned that case down because I’ll win that case in court,” said Trump, according to CBS.
The controversy over the Trump Foundation donation has gained extra attention because Trump has been attacking Hillary Clinton over what he alleges has been a “pay-to-play” scheme at the Clinton Foundation.
When asked what he was hoping to get from the donation, Trump did not answer directly.
“I’ve just known Pam Bondi for years,” Trump said Monday. “I have a lot of respect for her. Never spoke to her about that at all.”