Trump Ordered to Pay $2 Million to Nonprofits as Part of Lawsuit Settlement

President Trump has been ordered to fork over $2 million to nonprofit groups to settle a civil lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general over his now-shuttered foundation. The New York attorney general's office accused the Trump Foundation of “functioning as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trump’s business and political interests,” and violating the law by coordinating with the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. “I direct Mr. Trump to pay the $2,000,000, which would have gone to the Foundation if it were still in existence, on a pro rata basis to the Approved Recipients,” the judge wrote, according to ABC News. The foundation agreed to dissolve last December.

Trump issued a statement late Thursday claiming he was being “attacked by the political hacks” in New York. While vowing to donate the $2 million to charities, the president also complained about New York authorities not investigating the Clinton Foundation and lashed out at Attorney General Letitia James. He insisted the judge's ruling stemmed only from “some small technical violations” and said the only other thing uncovered in the Trump Foundation was “incredibly effective philanthropy.”