Elections

NY Attorney General launches inquiry into Trump charity

Welcome to McClatchy’s Voter Survival Guide, an interactive presentation of daily events from one of the strangest presidential campaigns in modern history.

The New York Attorney General announces an ongoing inquiry into Donald Trump’s charity and WikiLeaks releases more hacked information on Hillary Clinton and the DNC.

The commander in chief hits the campaign trail – and Donald Trump – while stumping for Clinton. Meanwhile, Trump is increasingly looking like a better candidate to his own party.

New data shows that Republicans and Democrats have less in common with each other than at any point in the past 25 years.

The polls open nationally in 54 days. Let’s get started.

New York AG announces inquiry into Trump foundation

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says his office has opened an ongoing inquiry into whether Trump’s charity is “complying with the laws governing charities in New York.”

Schneiderman disclosed the information during an interview with CNN Tuesday, saying his office has been investigating the Donald J. Trump Foundation over concerns it “may have engaged in some impropriety.”

Schneiderman’s comments came shortly after House Democrats called for a federal criminal investigation of an improperly disclosed $25,000 donation. Trump’s charity made the donation to a political group supporting Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as her office considered a fraud investigation against Trump University.

Scnheiderman is also leading an investigation over Trump University.

WikiLeaks releases “new” batch of hacked documents

WikiLeaks published 678.4 megabytes of DNC documents Tuesday it says comes from the Guccifer 2 hacker.

Interim DNC Chair Donna Brazile blamed the Russian government for the hack, calling it an “effort to influence the presidential election.”

Obama goes on the offensive

Barack Obama put up an aggressive defense of Hillary Clinton, her campaign’s transparency and her health during a rally Tuesday, then attacked Republicans for fanning “anger and hate.”

Obama painted a stark contrast between Clinton and Donald Trump and tried to convince Democrats in Pennsylvania he fully stands behind their nominee.

“Hillary Clinton is steady and she is true,” Obama told a group of cheering Democrats at an outdoor rally. “I need you to work as hard for Hillary as you did for me.”

Hillary Clinton is steady and she is true

Barack Obama to Clinton supporters on Tuesday

Obama stepped in to fill the gap left by Clinton as she takes time off to recover from pneumonia.

Where the parties stand

Pew released a slew of data on Tuesday showing that Democrats and Republicans are more different than ever. Democrats were more diverse as a party in 1992 than Republicans are now. Non-college educated whites, a group Trump polls well with, are shrinking in the Democratic Party.

White men are much more likely to identify as Republican while white women marginally favor Democrats. Working class whites without a college education are increasingly Republican, the research shows.

Candidate dummies don’t fare well

“A rubber wet suit, adorned with women’s clothing and a blonde wig, hanging by the neck from a construction crane,” was seen dangling over an Oregon interstate in an apparent Clinton effigy yesterday. The effigy was accompanied by signs reading “Vote Trump” and “Treason? Ask her” along with several American flags.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox had fun with a Trump pinata:

More stories:

Have a question about the candidates, the campaign, the process, the election itself? Ask us here.

Alex Daugherty, @alextdaugherty

Eric Wuestewald, @eric_wuest

This story was originally published September 14, 2016 at 7:30 AM with the headline "NY Attorney General launches inquiry into Trump charity."

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