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President-elect Donald Trump will pay [$21 million,] the bulk of a $25 million class action settlement, to students who sued the businessman-turned-world leader nearly seven years ago in California, just days before the first San Diego case was set to go to trial.
The class attorneys told U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel at a hearing in San Diego federal court [November 18] that all 7,000 class members in the two San Diego cases--Low v. Trump University and Cohen v. Trump--would get at least half if not all of what they spent on a Trump University real estate education. Attorney Jason Forge said they were able to "maximize recovery" for Trump University students by waiving their attorney's fees and litigating the case on behalf of the students for free.
[...] Class attorney Rachel Jensen said the students can finally "pay off their credit cards and move on with their lives".
[...] The Low case included Trump University students in California, New York, and Florida, who sued Trump in 2010 over claims he defrauded them when they invested up to $35,000 to learn insider real estate secrets from instructors purportedly handpicked by Trump. The president-elect turned out to have little involvement in the school and his attorneys said he relied on "sales puffery" common in advertising to capitalize on Trump's name.
New York's Attorney General followed suit, suing Trump University in 2013. At the heart of that case was the title "university", which New York's Department of Education had warned the real estate school it could not use because it was not an accredited institution.
[Continues...]
The Christian Science Monitor continues:
If Mr. Trump had to stand trial in the Trump University case scheduled for late November, it would have been the first time in history that a president-elect gave testimony in a lawsuit. On Friday, Trump's lawyers told the federal judge involved in the case that Trump is currently too busy with political demands to stand trial. What kind of precedent does this set for Trump's administration?
[...] If the lawsuits [against Trump] aren't settled now, they may not see the light of day for four to eight years, say legal experts. Political science observers say that this puts the ball in Trump's court where litigation is concerned.
[...] Allegations of fraud have dogged Trump throughout the election season, leading the Republican candidate to claim that in such a politicized climate, he would be unable to receive a fair trial.
After his victory over Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton, Trump's lawyers attempted to delay the trial, originally scheduled for Nov. 28, until after the president-elect's [inauguration??]. Before that time, they said, Trump will be too busy learning the presidential ropes to engage in litigation.
[...] Whether or not Trump stays out of court while he serves as president, experts say that the Paula Jones case during Bill Clinton's presidency (she sued him for sexual harassment) is evidence that the legal system does occasionally allow civil cases to proceed against the president during his or her administration.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 21 2016, @12:39PM
Trump loses some money - big deal. He can afford it.
This is the second case of fraudulent claims by "education" organizations being punished. It's far past time. Sitting in class for a year, or four years, or ten years, should mean something. If the school isn't actually providing an education, then it's fraud. Burn 'em.
https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=16/09/07/0141225 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @12:42PM
Sitting in class for a year, or four years, or ten years, should mean something.
Yeah! It means you're overqualified for every available job! Because education is a negative return on investment! To succeed in America today, you either join the Army or the TSA. You do not get an education, because if you do, you're screwed.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Monday November 21 2016, @02:04PM
It's only a punishment if the $25 million was more than he made off of it. Which, seeing as Trump was quite cagey about how much he made off of it, is an open question.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday November 21 2016, @07:49PM
We'll find out he made off Trump university about the same time he releases his tax returns.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @02:09PM
Yeah, and all it takes to settle these things is to get the head elected President so that they can get rid of the bad PR. Otherwise, you're screwed.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @03:05PM
> Sitting in class for a year, or four years, or ten years, should mean something.
TU wasn't even that. It was much closer to a series of motivational seminars. The only reason anyone even thought it was "educational" is because he called it a "university" - which was also illegal to do in some states it operated in. At least the crap like phoenix university had a class structure with homework, tests and grades even if the place was designed more to make people drop out than to graduate.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Whoever on Monday November 21 2016, @04:16PM
It's a big deal because it tells us what kind of person Trump is.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @04:30PM
Rich?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @05:46PM
No, a scammer.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by SanityCheck on Monday November 21 2016, @04:45PM
Yeah he taught his students exactly how he made all his money. I think he delivered.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday November 21 2016, @07:52PM
I think what I heard them say on the news was that "Trump University imparted valuable knowledge".
Yeah. Don't get taken by a con man who is all show and bluster and no substance.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Monday November 21 2016, @04:32PM
"The phony lawsuit against Trump U could have been easily settled by me but I want to go to court. 98% approval rating by students. Easy win"
"This is a case I could have settled very easily, but I don’t settle cases very easily when I’m right. "
"Again, I don’t settle cases. I don’t do it because that’s why I don’t get sued very often, because I don’t settle, unlike a lot of other people."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @10:36PM
Yeah. The never-say-"never" in TFS would also have made more sense with my originally submitted title:
Donald "I never settle" Trump Settles Trump University Fraud Case for $25M
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @04:53PM
Should the CEO go to jail for fraud?
Not if he's the US President-elect, and was a reality TV star with 95 percent public recognition even before he ran for office.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday November 21 2016, @07:55PM
Can't he just pardon himself before he has to actually pay the $25 million?
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @11:45PM
A pardon is a Get-out-of-jail-free card.
This wasn't a criminal trial.
It was a -civil- lawsuit for monetary damages.
...and, Ralph Nader points out that while Trump was calling people names like "Lyin' Ted" and "Crooked Hillary", it would have been apt to have rebutted with "Cheating Donald". [commondreams.org]
If Trump had to sit through every trial for every time he has cheated someone, he wouldn't have time for anything else.
Trump's Wealth is Built on Decades of Stiffing Hundreds of Contractors, Businesses, and Employees [googleusercontent.com] (orig) [alternet.org]
Now, his pattern of dishonesty -could- put him up for RICO charges (Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970).
To get out from under *that* would require a pardon.
N.B. No USA President has ever had the chutzpah to grant *himself* a pardon.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 22 2016, @12:18AM
Well, not exactly, but Gerald Ford did pardon Nixon, which was a bit too close for my comfort level. I believe it set a horrible precedent which has allowed future Presidents to excuse the criminal wrong-doing of Administrations they were involved in (e.g., Bush pardoning 6 in the Iran-Contra affair in order to derail a trial that would have likely uncovered his own complicity in the crime [nytimes.com]). Unfortunately, I have little doubt that Trump would not think twice about pardoning himself from crimes he committed during his administration.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 22 2016, @04:28AM
If Trump pardons himself, he had better leave the country because his every move after that will be under a microscope looking for something to bust him on.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @10:59PM
I heard something similar the other day that mentioned how Ah-nuld and Ronnie Raygun had high recognition and had an immediate advantage.
The suggestion was that the Blues run Tom Hanks for prez next time around.
Hey, he couldn't be any more ignorant of governmental matters than Trump is.
.
Allan Lichtman has correctly predicted every presidential race since 1984.
Now, Historian who predicted Trump's win says Trump will be impeached. [ktla.com]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @11:21PM
He's not the only one predicting an impeachment.
Trump isn't really a republican either. The party would much rather have Pence as president because he'll conform.
Still hoping he ends up ripping the party into shreds and finally shutting the door on reaganism
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 22 2016, @12:11AM
True, but Lichtman has a long record for analytical accuracy.
That's why I mentioned him specifically.
Pence as president
{Shudder} Yeah, there's definitely a downside to dumping Trump.
...though, seeing The Donald's appointments, it is hard to imagine *worse*.
Still hoping he ends up ripping the party into shreds and finally shutting the door on reaganism
From your lips to $DIETY's ear.
If we still end up with a Blue party which continues to be Neoliberal, that's not so much of a gain, however.
...and what if the Libertarians get to pick up the ball and run with it after the Reds implode?
Eeeyuuuck!
Libertarianism == small gov't (for Joe Average) [google.com]
Gary Johnson Is NOT the Third-Party Candidate You’re Looking For [googleusercontent.com] (orig) [socialistalternative.org]
Gary Johnson: The more you know him, the less you like him [googleusercontent.com] (orig) [dissidentvoice.org]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]