TRENTON -- Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani, two former federal prosecutors who are now top advisers to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, are calling for the Clinton Foundation to be investigated amid new questions about the donations it has received.

Trump's campaign issued a pair of statements Tuesday night from Christie, New Jersey's governor, and Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, calling for a special prosecutor to be appointed to look into the nonprofit connected to Trump's opponent, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

The statements came in the wake of an Associated Press report on Tuesday that said at least 85 of the people outside the government whom Clinton met with or was scheduled to have phone conversations with while she was U.S. secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 gave money to the foundation.

In his statement, Christie said, "We must get to the bottom of what looks like a pay to play scheme."

"The Clinton Foundation must be investigated now," said Christie, who was New Jersey's U.S. attorney before he was elected governor in 2009. "Unfortunately, the only appropriate action for our compromised Attorney General is to appoint a truly impartial Special Prosecutor. This must be investigated before Americans vote for President. Our system of justice deserves nothing less."

In his statement, Giuliani said, "It is now abundantly clear that the Clintons set up a business to profit from public office" and alleged that the foundation became a "racketeering enterprise."

"They sold access and specific actions for money," said Giuliani, who was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York in the 1980s. "This makes a mockery of her promise to Congress and the President to keep the Clinton Foundation and the State Department entirely separate."

Trump -- who called for the foundation to be shut down Monday -- made similar comments at a rally Tuesday night in Austin, Texas.

"Hillary Clinton is totally unfit to hold public office," the celebrity businessman and former Atlantic City magnate told the crowd. "It is impossible to figure out where the Clinton Foundation ends and the State Department begins."

Clinton's campaign argued that the AP's calculations did not include meetings with foreign diplomats or U.S. government officials. Plus, campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said the meetings covered only the first half of Clinton's tenure as secretary of state.

"It is outrageous to misrepresent Secretary Clinton's basis for meeting with these individuals," Fallon told the AP.

He called it "a distorted portrayal of how often she crossed paths with individuals connected to charitable donations to the Clinton Foundation."

Fallon also defended the foundation on Twitter:

We agree, @KellyannePolls. Which is why the Clintons are so proud of it and these attacks on it are so unfairhttps://t.co/8cP43uke25 — Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) August 24, 2016

Trump donated to the Clinton Foundation while HRC was Secretary of State. Doesn't that mean he is calling for an investigation of himself? — Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) August 24, 2016

Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, founded the nonprofit nearly two decades ago, and Hillary Clinton served on its board after her time as secretary of state ended.

The foundation announced last week that it will no longer accept donations from corporations and foreign entities if Clinton is elected.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.