Fox Hosts Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi To Do Damage Control Over Reports Of Trump’s Illegal Contribution To A Bondi Campaign Group

From the September 6 edition of Fox Business Network's Cavuto: Coast to Coast:

Video file

NEIL CAVUTO (HOST): I don't know whether it's a case in general of the best defense is a good offense but they're going after Donald Trump and specifically, you, over his failure to disclose a $25,000 dollar contribution a few years back in 2013 to a political group that was connected to you and whether to open a fraud investigation against Donald Trump, that this smells bad, according to one Clinton official, what do you say?

PAM BONDI: Smells bad. Well, let me tell you, I will not be collateral damage in a presidential campaign, nor will I be a woman bullied by Hillary Clinton. This is about her trying to deflect everything she did as secretary of state. And as you saw, we've sent a retraction notice to newspapers who have printed anything about this that's absolutely untrue. And Hillary Clinton will not bully me.

CAVUTO: All right. So back to this if you'll just indulge me. They said that you personally petitioned for this money to Mr. Trump himself. That's not true?

BONDI: No. This is about, what she is saying is about -- no. Of course I asked Donald Trump for a contribution. That's not what this is about. She was saying he was under investigation by my office at the time and I knew about it, none of which is true. 

CAVUTO: But the fact that he did not disclose that contribution led many to believe that there was some, some pay-for-play influence here. Was there?

BONDI: We immediately, we immediately disclosed it, of course, on our reporting the $25,000 from Donald Trump -- we reported it, and he reported it through a different entity which had the almost identical name if not the same name as my entity, my PAC. And so they cleared that up with the IRS. They reported it, but through a charitable organization by mistake. 

Related:

Trump Pays IRS A Penalty For His Foundation Violating Rules With Gift To Aid Florida Attorney General

Previously:

Fox Ignores Trump Foundation’s Illegal Campaign Contribution, Obsesses Over Clinton’s Cough

CNN's Jeff Zeleny Says There Is “More Smoke Here” In Trump's Illegal Pam Bondi Donation Than Many Other Controversies

Wash. Post's David Fahrenthold Explains The Potential Legal Problems With Trump's Pam Bondi Donation