Donald Trump has allegedly spent more than US$250,000 (A$330,000) from his charitable foundation to settle lawsuits, The Washington Post reported.

According to interviews and a review of legal documents, the Republican nominee used US$258,000 (A$341,000) from the Trump Foundation for legal settlements over his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and a New York golf course.

In 2007, Trump’s Palm Beach club faced US$120,000 (A$159,000) in unpaid fines for having a flagpole twice the height allowed in the town.

As part of a settlement, Palm Beach agreed to waive the fines if Trump made an US$100,000 (A$132,000) donation to veterans’ charities — which he did through the Trump Foundation, according to the paper.

The charity is funded mainly by donors other than Trump.

Meanwhile in another case in 2010, Trump’s golf course was forced to pay US$158,000 (A$209,000) to charity, after a golfer was denied a $1million hole-in-one prize.

The donation was made to the plaintiff’s chosen charity reportedly by the Trump Foundation.

The Washington Post has also raised questions about smaller expenditures the business tycoon has made.

In 2013, Trump allegedly used US$5000 (A$6600) to purchase advertisements for his hotel from the foundation, while in 2014 he spent $10,000 (A$13,200) for a 1.22m-tall portrait of himself at a charity fundraiser.

He also used US$20,000 (A$26,500) of the charity’s funds to buy another 1.83m-tall portrait of himself several years earlier.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could force Trump to pay penalty taxes or to reimburse the foundation for all the money it spent on his behalf.

He is also being accused by the new York attorney general’s office potentially violating US tax law and going against the moral conventions of philanthropy.

– with The Washington Post