Trump Foundation To Dissolve Amid New York AG's Investigation

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood has announced that the Trump Foundation will dissolve. The foundation was established by Donald Trump well before he ran for president.

The news comes as her office continues its investigation into various questions about the foundation's conduct, including whether the foundation broke the law by coordinating with Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and whether it was truly functioning as a charitable organization.

Underwood said her office had detailed "a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation" and that the foundation's decision to shutter was "an important victory for the rule of law."

The foundation agreed to dissolve under the supervision of a judge. Underwood's office will supervise the dispersal of the foundation's remaining assets to charities. The New York attorney general's office will continue its lawsuit against the foundation and is seeking millions in restitution and penalties and also seeks to bar Trump and his children from serving on the boards of other New York charities.

The investigation was spurred by a series of reports in The Washington Post about the foundation's activities, which suggested little, if any, actual charitable giving, and a pattern of helping Trump's presidential campaign efforts.

Citizens For Responsibility and Ethics in Washington executive director Noah Bookbinder said, "It is good to see this fraud is finally over." CREW had filed complaints calling for investigations into the foundation. [Copyright 2018 NPR]