title:  Report: Turns Out Most Of Trump’s ‘Charity’ Was Giving Free Golf To His Business Friends
text: Given the fact that Donald Trump has often bragged that he intentionally used his numerous bankruptcies as a way to exploit the government (and taxpayers) into paying his debts, it s not exactly surprising to learn that the billionaire business mogul has a spotty track record with philanthropy, but the scope of his greed, revealed in a new deep dive analysis by the Washington Post, is shocking.Trump loves to brag that he has given over $100 million to charity in the past five years, but like nearly everything the Republican frontrunner says, the truth is much different. Trump published a list of 4,844  contributions  he s made, which seems impressive until you actually start to look at what the donations are.As the Washington Post discovered: many of the gifts that Trump cited to prove his generosity were free rounds of golf, given away by his courses for charity auctions and raffles.Trump s campaign also counted a parcel of land that he d given to New York state   although that was in 2006, not within the past five years.The Donald J. Trump Foundation, Trump s biggest charity, was especially notable for its lack of well Trump. Between 2008 and 2014, Trump didn t donate a single penny of his own money to the foundation, instead he leaned on rich friends to give their money and he then sent out the checks to the charities under his name. What a guy.And while some of that money undeniable went to good causes, Trump also used a lot of his  donations  to shore up his political and business interests. The Washington Post again:His foundation, for example, frequently gave money to groups that paid to use Trump s facilities, and it donated to conservatives who could help promote Trump s rise in the Republican Party. The foundation s second-biggest donation described on the campaign s list went to the charity of a man who had settled a lawsuit with one of Trump s golf courses after being denied a hole-in-one prize.Trump s campaign had a truly stunning response when asked to explain why Trump s charitable giving was so weak: They didn t want to make Trump an easy mark for other charities. We want to keep them quiet,  said Weisselberg, who is also treasurer of the Trump Foundation.  He doesn t want other charities to see it. Then it becomes like a feeding frenzy. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.And while Trump certainly isn t the only rich person to horde his money for himself, his friends, and his business interests, it s worth noting that other billionaires have rejected this egregious level of greed and actually given vast amounts of their wealth to real, world-changing causes. Bill Gates, for example, has given $28 billion already and he says he s not done. It wasn t given to give friends free tickets to a game of golf, either. Gates and his wife have spent years fighting to eradicate the scourge of polio off the face of the earth, something he calls  a gift for the rest of time. Likewise, Warren Buffett set a charity record in June 2015   around the time Trump was teasing his presidential run   by donating $2.8 billion in one lump sum.Donald Trump has gotten pretty far in the election by impressing his supporters with his wealth. Many cite his business skills (debatable as they are) as the primary reason they will vote for him. However, is it not just as important to see what he does with the money once he has it? Unlike other people fortunate enough to have billions, it s clear he believes giving away his money to fight disease, poverty, or other social causes is a waste. He s repeatedly taken advantage of his wealth to influence people and get ahead.Somebody might want to pull him aside and let him know that money isn t something you can take with you when you die. He may even thank you for the advice with a free golf pass.Featured image via Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images