The committee was formed to organize the events around the inauguration, but Racine alleges it instead ‘‘abandoned this purpose and violated District law when it wasted approximately $1 million of charitable funds in overpayment for the use of event space at the Trump hotel.’’

During the lead-up to Trump’s January 2017 inauguration, the committee booked the hotel ballroom for $175,000 a day, plus more than $300,000 in food and beverage costs, over the objections of its own event planner.

WASHINGTON — D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine sued President Trump’s inaugural committee and business Wednesday, alleging that the committee violated its nonprofit status by spending more than $1 million to book a ballroom at Trump’s D.C. hotel that its staff knew was overpriced and that it barely used.


‘‘These charges were unreasonable and improperly served to enrich’’ Trump’s business, the complaint reads. He alleges that Trump and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, were likely aware of the charges, based on documents Racine subpoenaed from the committee and the Trump Organization.

D.C. law requires that nonprofit organizations not operate for the purpose of generating profits for private individuals. In the civil suit, Racine, a Democrat, asked for an order from D.C. Superior Court directing that the money be returned and given to charities promoting civic engagement.

An attorney for the committee and a Trump Organization spokeswoman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In response to previous inquiries about spending by the committee, its chairman, Thomas Barrack, issued a statement saying that the inauguration and the more than 20 related events ‘‘were executed in elegance and seamless excellence without incident or interruption, befitting the legacy and tradition that has preceded us.’’

Racine’s lawsuit specifically targets a $1 million deal made between the committee and the Trump Organization for the ballroom during four days around the inaugural, which he alleges was a knowing waste of the nonprofit’s resources to benefit the Trumps. Racine has litigated against other nonprofit groups in the past, including charter schools.


Documents submitted with the 18-page complaint show discussions between Trump’s company and his inaugural committee, ending in a deal that Racine argues is such a waste of the committee’s funds that it violates the law and the organization’s mission ‘‘to further the common good and welfare’’ of American citizens ‘‘by supporting the activities surrounding the 2017 Presidential inauguration.’’

The lawsuit is the second brought by Racine over Trump’s business practices. In the other, Racine and Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh allege that Trump violates the Constitution’s foreign ‘‘emoluments’’ clause by doing business with foreign governments.