New York's attorney general orders Trump Foundation to cease operations

The New York attorney general sent a letter on Monday to the Donald J. Trump Foundation to halt operations until it discloses missing financial reports.

In a press release, the attorney general's office announced it notified the Trump Foundation that it needed to stop soliciting money until the foundation submitted its mandatory financial reports and audits.

According to Monday's release, the foundation solicited contributions without having submitted the documents, a violation of state law.

In a statement reported by NBC's Katy Tur, campaign spokesperson Hope Hicks said the foundation would comply, but suggested that Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's letter to the Trump Foundation may be politically motivated.

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Trump campaign statement on NY AG Cease and Desist

6:05 PM - 3 Oct 2016

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The Washington Post reported last month that the Trump Foundation never got the proper certification to operate a charity in New York soliciting over $25,000.

For his part, Schneiderman is also examining whether the real-estate magnate violated any laws when he used charitable funds for noncharitable purposes, such as making political gifts.CNN reported that Schneiderman's office over the past four months has been looking into the foundation's practices following revelations that Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to investigate Trump University almost immediately after the foundation donated to her campaign in 2013.

The Trump campaign has repeatedly attempted to delegitimize Schneiderman's investigation. Last month, Trump spokesperson Jason Miller labeled Schneiderman a "a partisan hack who has turned a blind eye to the Clinton Foundation for years and has endorsed Hillary Clinton."