Cohen seeks investigation into whether funds raised for St. Jude were diverted to Trump charities

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen has asked U.S.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate whether some of the money the Eric Trump Foundation’s charity golf tournament raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital went instead to other charities favored by President Donald Trump, reports Michael Collins.

“The report suggests that donors may have been misled, the event may have been used as a pass through to convert charitable donations to the Donald J. Trump Foundation into revenue for Donald Trump’s private businesses, and the event may have been used as a vehicle to profit Donald Trump’s private businesses,” Cohen said. “I urge you to investigate to determine whether federal laws have been violated.” (Text of Cohen’s letter is HERE.)

Cohen’s request for an investigation comes on the heels of a report last week in Forbes magazine that said President Trump’s favorite charities pocketed a hefty share of donations made to the annual golf outing.

Forbes said it combed through years of records and concluded that, before Trump became president, he grew miffed at the money his youngest son was spending to put on the fundraisers. So Trump and family members steered some of the cash raised in the golf outings, beginning in 2011, to their own favorite causes, the magazine said.

“While donors to the Eric Trump Foundation were told their money was going to help sick kids, more than $500,000 was re-donated to other charities, many of which were connected to Trump family members or interests, including at least four groups that subsequently paid to hold golf tournaments at Trump courses,” Forbes reported.