After boycotting the final Republican presidential debate Thursday night, GOP front-runner Donald Trump held his own event that he said would raise funds to support U.S. veterans.
But it remained unclear how much of the $6 million he claimed to have raised in a single day — including nearly $500,000 through his website— would go to veterans groups as promised.
While Trump set up a special web page to solicit donations for veterans,
The Federalist points out that all donations went to Trump's personal nonprofit foundation, rather than directly to veterans groups.
"Honor their valor," the website, donaldtrumpforvets.com, states. "Donate now to help our Veterans."
The website, a single page that includes a stock photo and a credit card information form, bears the logo of the Donald J. Trump Foundation at the top, and notes that "100 percent of your donations will go directly to Veterans needs."
A disclosure at the bottom of the donation page reads: "The Donald J. Trump Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. An email confirmation with a summary of your donation will be sent to the email address provided above."
A report by
The Weekly Standard shows that Trump's nonprofit donated between $100,001 and $250,000 to the Clinton Foundation from 2009 and 2013, while giving just $57,000 to veterans.
As of Friday morning, Trump's fundraising page still did not list any intended recipients of the money, although his campaign on Thursday night had
released a list of veterans groups it planned to aid.
Trump campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson told CNN's Jim Sciutto that the donations "will be spread all across the country to veterans organizations."
And those who don't want to receive the money, we'll make sure not to send them a check," Pierson continued.
CNN reached five veterans groups that received money from Trump's foundation in the past: Fisher House, the Green Beret Foundation, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Heroes to Heroes and K9s for Warriors.
Of the five, only K9s for Warriors, a group that provides service dogs to veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress, had been contacted by Trump's campaign regarding the fundraising and whether they would be open to receiving the funds.
"While we're a nonpartisan organization, we are busy trying to stop the crisis of 22 veterans committing suicide every day and we are thrilled to take funds from Mr. Trump — no problem. We are going to save lives with that money," Executive director Rory Diamond said.
Before the list of recipients was released, Paul Rieckhoff, the head of an Iraq and Afghanistan veterans group, said he'd reject Trump's money if it were offered.
Rieckhoff took to Twitter:
Fox News reports that this is not the first time Rieckhoff has been critical of politicians discussing veterans issues on the campaign trail.
During Sarah Palin's Trump endorsement last week, the former Alaska governor seemed to point the finger at Obama for the mental issues her son is dealing with after his Iraq War service.
Rieckoff however, according to Fox News, fought back by noting that PTSD is a "very serious problem" and reportedly urged Palin not to "politicize" it.