Trump used charity cash for Tim Tebow memorabilia

Trump paid for the helmet and jersey with money from the Donald J. Trump Foundation nonprofit, the Post reports. A gushing headline in The Palm Beach Daily News declared, “The Donald giveth, and The Donald payeth”.

The answer may depend on what became of the helmet and jersey.

Trump himself sent no money. As if that’s not insane enough, he did so with a check written from his Donald J. Trump Foundation.

The Trump Foundation, where the businessman serves as president, is mostly funded with other people’s money, and at the time of the auction, Trump hadn’t donated to the foundation for three consecutive years, according to the Post.

The Washington Post says it discovered the payment when reviewing Trump’s charitable donations over the years.

If Trump kept the memorabilia, or even gave it to a friend, it’s a pretty classic violation of IRS rules against “self-dealing”, which prevents nonprofit officials from spending donated money on themselves.

Trump boasts frequently of his giving, but journalsts have been scrutinizing how much of that philanthropy actually benefits Trump himself and his personal brand.

Tax expert Brett G. Kappel says that, on the surface, it appears that Trump violated IRS rules. If the rule is broken, the IRS must be notified and the offender may have to pay a tax penalty. There could also be penalties for signing a tax return that failed to mention the violation.

A request for comment from the Trump campaign was not immediately returned.

Back in 2012, Tim Tebow, the devoutly-Christian former Heisman Trophy victor, was enjoying leading the Denver Broncos to the post-season, and was still a hot commodity in the sports-memorabilia industry.

Tim Tebow was at the height of his National Football League popularity in 2012 after leading Broncos to playoffs.

Donald Trump made headlines Friday morning for Tebowing, in a sense. But maybe because it only costs about $415 now online, according to the Post.