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Donald Trump: 'I Hope' Trump Foundation Hasn't Broken Any Laws

When asked Sunday if he was 'confident that the Trump Foundation has followed all charitable rules and laws,' Trump responded, 'I hope so.'
Image: Trump holds a rally with supporters in Aston, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a rally with supporters in Aston, Pennsylvania, Sept. 22.JONATHAN ERNST / Reuters

Donald Trump left open the possibility he had broken laws with his personal foundation, saying in an interview Sunday when asked if he was "confident" he had followed all laws and regulations that he "hoped so."

His response raises further questions about the Donald J. Trump Foundation, a charitable organization that multiple media reports have found Trump used for personal purchases and to pay off legal fees, activities that may be against IRS laws concerning charities.

Related: Trump Used Money From Charitable Foundation to Settle Legal Disputes

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, has launched an inquiry into the Trump Foundation, which has received tens of millions in donations over the past decade, but none from Trump himself since 2008.

Trump was asked directly by Full Measure host Sharyl Atkinson if he was "confident that the Trump Foundation has followed all charitable rules and laws," and he demurred, insisting that his attorneys have control over the operation.

"Well, I hope so, I mean, my lawyers do it," Trump said. "We give away money, I don’t make anything, I take no salaries, I take no — any costs, I have zero costs, and a lot of money goes through the Trump Foundation into charities. Goes to charities, it doesn’t go to me, it goes to charities."

Related: N.Y. Attorney General Reveals Inquiry Into Donald Trump's Nonprofit Foundation

The Foundation, however, lists only five officers on its IRS forms, and no attorney. Those officers include Trump, his three eldest children, and a treasurer, Alan Weisselberg, who also serves as CFO of the Trump Organization.