Eric Trump, a son of President-elect Donald Trump, said on Wednesday that he will no longer be fundraising for his eponymous charity foundation.
“As unfortunate as it is, I understand the quagmire,” Eric Trump told The New York Times in an interview. “You do a good thing that backfires.”
Trump has faced criticism this week after it was discovered that his Eric Trump Foundation was sponsoring an auction for coffee with his sister, Ivanka Trump, who is expected to play a role in their father’s new administration.
{mosads}The family has also been under fire after reports surfaced that another charity was offering hunting trips with Eric or his brother, Donald Trump Jr., in exchange for hefty donations.
The Trump children have backed away from both ventures in recent days.
The Eric Trump Foundation has mainly focused on raising money for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee, for which Eric Trump has reportedly raised $15 million.
“I get that people will try to use anything they can for their own interests,” he said of those accusing the family of having conflicts of interest. “The reality is, I’ve been raising money for sick kids far longer than” his father has been a politician.
“I’m saddened because I dedicated a large portion of my adult life to battling childhood cancer,” Trump added.