The state of New York has opened an investigation into the Donald J Trump Foundation, a charity belonging to the Republican nominee for US president, the New York attorney-general said yesterday.

The foundation is being investigated to make sure it’s complying with New York laws governing charities, attorney-general Eric Schneiderman said.

“My interest in this issue really is in my capacity as regulator of nonprofits in New York state. And we have been concerned that the Trump Foundation may have engaged in some impropriety from that point of view,” Schneiderman said on CNN.

The investigation follows reports of transactions that have recently come to light, including a Washington Post story citing tax records showing that Trump had not donated to his foundation since 2008.

The newspaper also reported that the foundation spent US$20,000 of money meant for charity to buy a 1.8-metre-tall painting of Trump.

The foundation also donated US$25,000 to the attorney-general of Florida in 2013 as she was considering filing fraud charges against Trump University.

Trump has denied any connection between the money and the attorney-general, who later decided not to pursue an investigation.

Schneiderman, a Democrat who supports Hillary Clinton, Trump’s opponent in the race for the White House, has said his actions are not politically motivated.

Trump’s campaign called Schneiderman “a partisan hack”, according to Politico.

- dpa