United States Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's charitable foundation has been asked to stop raising funds in the state of New York with immediate effect. The attorney general's office, which posted the letter issued to Trump Foundation online on Monday, said it was not registered with the Charities Bureau, a pre-requisite to receive charitable donations in the state.

The order issued by New York's Attorney General Eric Schneiderman also warned that if the Trump Foundation did not abide by it, its fundraising would be considered a fraudulent activity. The foundation has also been asked to file reports under Article 7-A with the Charities Bureau within 15 days, according to New York Times. The New York Attorney General’s Office is the sole regulator of charities in the state.

Trump, however, said it was a "politically motivated" move from Schneiderman, a Democrat supporter. But, he added that the charity will cooperate with the investigation. "While we remain very concerned about the political motives behind AG Schneiderman’s investigation, the Trump Foundation nevertheless intends to cooperate fully with the investigation," said Trump campaign spokesperson Hope Hicks.

The foundation has come under the a microscope as the billionaire businessman has been accused of evading tax for the past 18 years. Trump may have used the foundation to settle legal disputes, transferred funds from his business to the foundation to avoid paying tax etc, reported Reuters.