Cleveland recipients landed cash gifts envelopes of $100 bills, 'intended to promote economic development,' but the group is a 501(c)3.
Raising questions about the tax-exempt status, Marcus Owens, former IRS Exempt Organizations Division director now with law firm Loeb & Loeb:
'Charities are required to spend their money on charitable and educational activities. It's not clear to me how simply giving money away to people at an event is a charitable act.”
The group's CEO, Darrell Scott, a Cleveland pastor & prominent black Trump supporter who struck up a relationship with Trump before presidential run; co-founded National Diversity Coalition for Trump:
Gifts were between $300-$500; the group mandates that anyone receiving $600+ fills out a W-9 form. Scott declined to name the donors funding the effort. 'I'd rather not. They prefer to remain anonymous.'
At www.politico.com
