Legion Troll
A fine upstanding poster
Trump drew much fanfare when he skipped a Republican debate in January to host a rally that he has said raised millions of dollars for veterans, but one question has lingered since the event: Where's the money?
The Trump campaign said the event raised $6 million for different veterans groups, with Trump himself contributing $1 million, but only about half of that money has been dispersed so far.
The campaign did not provide specifics earlier this week, but after a CNN report aired questioning the contributions, a spokeswoman shared a list showing 27 veterans organizations that have received a total of $2.9 million to date.
The vice president for Charity Navigator, Sandra Miniutti, said she believes the money should have already been dispersed.
Miniutti said some fundraisers rightfully take time to distribute payments if the recipients have to be vetted, such as after public emergencies, but Trump's campaign established a clear list of organizations to benefit.
"I think it's fair to question why the funds haven't been paid out," Miniutti said.
When contacted by CNN, only nine groups confirmed they had received payments, totaling $800,000. One group said no payment had yet been made.
Veteran organizations have publicly critiqued Trump for politicizing contributions to benefit veterans.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America founder Paul Rieckhoff said he would decline any contributions that came from the January event.
"We need strong policies from candidates, not to be used for political stunts," Rieckhoff tweeted.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/03/politics/donald-trump-veterans-donations/index.html
