A new online ad from Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign seeks to flip the script on Donald Trump, accusing the Republican nominee of mastering “pay-to-play” politics.
Trump has repeatedly accused Democratic nominee and former secretary of State of providing access and political favors to donors of the Clinton Foundation, but the video released Tuesday accuses the “pay-to-play expert” of buying favoritism with a contribution to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) in 2013.
{mosads}The spot begins by showing Trump touting his past monetary donations to political figures such as Bondi.
“When they call, I give,” he says. “And you know what? When I need something from them, two years later, three years later, I call them, they are there for me.”
The spot then pivots to the Bondi donation specifically.
“So in 2013, Pam Bondi, the attorney general of Florida, she actually personally solicits a campaign contribution from Trump,” one reporter says.
“His charitable foundation gave a political gift, which you’re not allowed to do, to the Florida attorney general,” a second journalist continues, referencing the Donald J. Trump Foundation.
“The donation was made four days after Bondi’s office announced it was considering joining an investigation into alleged fraud at Trump University,” a third journalist adds. “Bondi’s office chose not to join the investigation.”
Reports emerged this month Trump paid a $2,500 fine to the IRS after his namesake charitable organization illegally made the $25,000 political contribution to a group supporting Bondi’s campaign.
The Washington Post reported earlier this month that Trump’s foundation did not list a donation to the group backing Bondi in its tax filings that year.
The organization instead detailed a contribution to a charity in Kansas with a similar name that it never actually made.
The Trump Foundation additionally listed “no” when asked on a tax form if it had made any poliltical contributions in 2013.
Bondi, who now backs Trump’s Oval Office bid, ultimately declined to bring charges against the billionaire’s for-profit education company.