Bogus Veterans’ Group Backing Donald Trump Loses Its Non-Profit Status

Trump
Image Via Salon.com

This has not been a good week for Donald Trump. First, he didn’t live up to expectations during Wednesday’s debate, then he allowed a supporter at a rally to call President Obama a Muslim without correcting the mistake.

And now the so-called “veterans’ group” known officially as Veterans for a Strong America, has seen its non-profit status revoked by the Internal Reveue Service (IRS).

Oh, and also the Donald’s hair still looks like it was stolen from a hamster. But I digress.

It was proven earlier this week that Veterans for a Strong America is actually one man named Joel Arends who lives in South Dakota. The group has $30 cash in assets and $318 in debts. Yet this is the group Trump sold tickets to support with his speech aboard the USS Iowa. Those tickets ranged in price from $100-1,000. The group’s endorsement of Trump at the event could also raise larger legal issues under campaign finance laws.

The IRS issued its decision on August 10, citing the group’s failure to file any tax returns for three consecutive years, according to IRS records.

Campaign finance laws may have been violated under the statute which says corporations are restricted to donating $2,700 either in cash or in-kind contributions to a campaign. But the event on the Iowa, which Veterans for a Strong America paid for, involved 850 attendees, which would put the cost at roughly $11,000.

For his part, Arends told an Associated Press reporter:

“We disagree with the IRS determination letter.”

Really? Imagine that.

This may well turn out to be the Week from Hell for Donald Trump. And a few more weeks like this one and he will fall off his pedestal even faster than has been predicted. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving jerk.