As part of the settlement, Trump agreed to pay back $11,525 he admitted to "misusing," largely spent buying bottles of champagne and sports memorabilia at a charity event.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who became AG last November on the back of a highly politicized campaign, hailed the court's decision as a "major victory" in her quest to "protect charitable assets and hold accountable those who would abuse charities for personal gain."

In his strongly worded statement, Trump pushed back against the accusations, noting that the court had dismissed James' "frivolous request for statutory penalties, interest and other damages."

Taking another swipe at James, he claimed that the Democratic firebrand "does not acknowledge that we gave 100% of the funds to great charities," while accusing her office of being reluctant to look into the Clinton Foundation "with all of its problems." However, Trump apparently could not help but embellish some of the story, saying that he would be "happy to donate $2 million" to the charities, despite being ordered to do so by the court.

In addition to admonishing the authorities in his former home base of New York, Trump bragged about his own contributions to charity, calling himself "perhaps the only person in history" who has been publicly eviscerated for giving back to the community.

"I am the only person I know, perhaps the only person in history, who can give major money to charity ($19 M), charge no expense, and be attacked by the political hacks in New York State. No wonder why we are all leaving!

ABC Insider: Why I, alone, released the Amy Robach Epstein tape.

Editors Note: Project Veritas is publishing the writing below at the request of the ABC news insider who gave us the Amy Robach tape.

This was submitted to us in light of the actions taken against those wrongfully identified as involved in the leaking of the tape and the reactions of ABC news to their spiking of the story on Jeffrey Epstein.

To my fellow man:

I came forward with this information bearing no motives other than to have this information public. I did not and do not seek any personal gain from this information whether it be financial or otherwise and will always decline. When I became aware of this moment, I had the same reaction as many of you did. Anger, confusion and sadness. I care not about petty political quarrels and only hope for the best in all of us.

To my fellow ABC News employees:

I've walked the halls experiencing similar feelings we are all having right now. All of you regardless of your own personal differences in one form or another do an outstanding job. I sincerely enjoy working with each and every one of you and will continue to do so throughout our careers.

To those wrongfully accused:

It is terrible that you have been lashed out at by the company. I know some may put the burden of guilt on me, but my conscience is clear. The actions of the company towards you are the result of their own and not anyone else. The public outcry, from coast to coast, of all people, creeds, and political affiliations, is clear. I have not one doubt that there will always be support for you, and you will have prosperous careers. For neither you, nor I, have done anything wrong.

To Amy Robach:

You are the only person deserving of an apology. I am most certainly sorry. Not for my actions or for this to center around you, but for what is clear to have happened. When I first stumbled across this, my initial reaction was outrage. But this soon turned towards empathy. I can not imagine doing all the hard work to only have it shelved. If the past few years have taught us anything, it is the truth that some of us have endured many hardships in this industry. From the spiking of stories regarding prominent and powerful people in this world, and to yours. I believe you are an outstanding reporter and have done such tremendous work in the community as well.

To ABC News:

I sit right here with you all in complete shock. I, like many, are at a loss for words on how this has been handled. Instead of addressing this head-on like the company has in the past, it has spun into a mission of seek-and-destroy. Innocent people that have absolutely nothing to do with this are being hunted down as if we are all a sport. I challenge all of you to actually look inwards and remember why this company engages in journalism. We all hold the First Amendment at the foundation of this company, yet forget its history, its purpose, and its reasoning for even coming into existence to begin with. How lost we are... yearning to be found. I went to Project Veritas for the sole reason that any other media outlet else would have probably shelved this as well. I thank all of them, and James, for seeking truth.

We are all human and mortal, creatures of mistakes and redemption.

The road to redemption favors no soul.

Sincerely,

Ignotus

It takes another New York billionaire to beat Trump? Ex-mayor Michael Bloomberg preparing to run as Democrat in 2020

Though Bloomberg has not yet announced a candidacy, the New York Times reported on Thursday that he dispatched staff to Alabama in order to register for the state's primary ahead of the Friday deadline.

As 17 major players vie for the Democrat nomination, Bloomberg is "increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well positioned" to beat Trump, his close adviser Howard Wolfson told the Times.

Bloomberg's campaign could be a "seismic disruption in the Democratic race," according to the Times, undercutting current front-runner Joe Biden and providing "fodder" for Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), who have been crusading against billionaires.

While some observers say a Bloomberg run would help the Democrats' progressive wing gain traction, others caution that he might actually "rout" the Sanders-Warren faction and result in a Michelle Obama unity ticket.

Either way, CNN is excited. The channel's analysts painted the former mayor as someone "richer, more successful and less offensive" than Trump.

It is unclear how further splitting the vote, especially if he ends up getting more of the centrist vote, will not virtually assure a Trump landslide victory in 2020 but we'll leave that to the DNC to manipulate. For now, however, in what is shaping up as the best trade of the day, a bet on Michael Bloomberg is up 366% on PredictIt on the day.

But Mr. Bloomberg could also reshape the race in other ways, intensifying the Democrats' existing debates about economic inequality and corporate power, and offering fodder to the party's rising populist wing, led by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, who contend that the extremely rich already wield far too much influence in politics. Mr. Bloomberg has repeatedly expressed discomfort with certain policies favored by both Ms. Warren and Mr. Sanders.

Howard Wolfson, a close adviser to Mr. Bloomberg, said on Thursday that the former mayor viewed President Trump as an "unprecedented threat to our nation," and noted Mr. Bloomberg's heavy spending in the 2018 midterm elections and this week's off-year races in Virginia.

"We now need to finish the job and ensure that Trump is defeated — but Mike is increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well positioned to do that," Mr. Wolfson said. "If Mike runs he would offer a new choice to Democrats built on a unique record running America's biggest city, building a business from scratch and taking on some of America's toughest challenges as a high-impact philanthropist."

A former Republican who repeatedly explored running for president as an independent, Bloomberg registered as a Democrat ahead of the midterm elections last year. In his past flirtations with the presidency, Bloomberg has never before taken the step of filing to put his name on a state ballot.

While Bloomberg could still opt against running, even his preliminary steps toward a campaign may come as a blow to Joe Biden, who has been counting on strong support from centrist Democrats, traditional party donors and much of the business community to carry him forward in the race.

Elizabeth Warren, for one, was quick to welcome Mayor Mike to the race:

And while we await for the official documents to be filed, we wonder what Mike's political platform will be: free Bloomberg terminals for everyone, or the slogan "Billionaires Trillionaires should not exist."

Bloomberg move underscores Democratic Party panic over 2020 field

Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are locked in a race to the left that could leave either struggling to attract the center in a general election, and former Vice President Joe Biden is facing lingering doubts about his campaign's strength.

"In 2018 [Bloomberg] spent more than $100 million to help elect Democrats to ensure that Congress began to hold the President accountable," Wolfson said. "And this year he helped Democrats win control of both houses of the Virginia legislature."

That's a view shared by a number of Democratic strategists and commentators. While Biden remains near the top of the polls, questions about his age, fitness and fundraising ability have shadowed him, and he has been savaged by the party's left-flank for his more moderate positions on questions such as health care, immigration and even working with Republicans.

Biden's brain is Swiss Cheese and it's creepy that we're not talking about it

"This is a thunderclap," Obama strategist David Axelrod tweeted about the Bloomberg news. "And not exactly a vote of confidence from leading moderate in durability of @JoeBiden campaign."

It remains unclear whether Bloomberg, running from the center-left, could command the kind of primary support necessary to rise in the packed field, even spending his own fortune to do it.

One possibility, as Trump suggested, is that he'd draw just enough support from Biden to boost a more liberal candidate such as Warren, D-Mass., or Sanders. I-Vt. -- whose big-spending policy prescriptions have also raised alarm about general election viability.

"There's more anxiety than ever," Connie Schultz, a journalist who is married to Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, told The New York Times last month. Brown has also been eyed by some Democrats as a possible late entrant to the race.

"We're both getting the calls. I've been surprised by some who've called me," Schultz said.

Last Friday, Warren released her "Medicare-for-all" plan, coming with an eyewatering price tag of $52 trillion (including $20 trillion in new spending over the next decade) and a promise not to raise taxes on the middle class -- a claim met with deep skepticism from across the political spectrum. But centrists were also scathing about how the plan would play out in swing states.

"This is going to cause down-ballot damage in swing districts and states if she's the nominee," Colorado State Rep. Bri Buentello told Politico.

Sanders, meanwhile, on Thursday released his immigration plan -- a grab bag of far-left items including a deportation freeze, full welfare access for illegal immigrants, the dismantling of federal immigration agencies, and the promise to accept a minimum of 50,000 "climate migrants" in the first year of a Sanders administration.

While those plans have been cheered by left-wing activists, it is far from clear how well they would go down in swing states any Democrat needs to win in order to beat Trump.

While current national polling suggests most of the main 2020 candidates would beat Trump next year, there are warning signs in the polling data for Democrats -- apart from the general caveat that most polling also showed Trump losing in 2016, and he didn't.

The swing states generally show a tighter race against Trump. A New York Times/Siena College survey in six battleground states released Friday shows that Democrats there also prefer a more moderate pick. A majority, 55 percent, said they wanted a candidate more moderate than most Democrats, and 62 percent wanted a candidate who would try and find common ground with Republicans.

"With Trump looming, there is genuine concern that the horse many have bet on may be pulling up lame and the horse who has sprinted out front may not be able to win," Axelrod told the Times last month.

The idea that Bloomberg's entrance into the 2020 race is a response to the deficiencies of the current field has been greeted by glee by Republicans.

"Really? Another one?" Republican National Committee Rapid Response Director Steve Guest tweeted. "The fact that Michael Bloomberg feels the need to run for president underscores the weak Democrat field and shows that Democrats know they can't compete with @realDonaldTrump in 2020."

There are other signs that Democrats on the sidelines are nervous about the current field. Hillary Clinton has been the subject of a series of rumors that she may throw her hat in the race -- a prospect that seemed unthinkable a year ago. The Washington Post, meanwhile, reported that former Attorney General Eric Holder is considering stepping into the race too.

The consideration of any of these politicians may reflect sheer personal ambition as much as concern about the field -- but the fact they're even flirting with a run at this late stage indicates they see an opening for that reason.

It remains to be seen whether Bloomberg will jump all the way in. The next major deadline he faces is in New Hampshire, where the deadline for candidates to put their name on the ballot is Nov. 11. Bloomberg aides tell Fox News there's no word yet on whether the former New York City mayor will come to New Hampshire to file. But they add that they'll do "everything necessary to keep all of our options open."

Team Bloomberg is also reaching out to top Granite State Democrats. Longtime New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley told Fox News that he's been contacted. But others have pushed back on the idea that what Democratic voters want is even more candidates to choose from.

Longtime New Hampshire based Democratic consultant James Demers - who's backing Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey this cycle - said that "anybody and everybody has a right to run if they want to but I'm hearing voters more and more saying 'I really want this field to winnow down to six or seven so I can process who's running and they're not asking for the field to grow.'

"So I think it's a high-stakes game for anyone to get in this late in the game because that's not where the voters' heads are," he said.

You can find Fox's news reports here.

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