President Trump as Dirtbag
Despite President-elect Trump's self-serving tweets, the Trump University lawsuit seems to be a classic example of the kind of behavior that once led a Republican governor to call Trump "a dirtbag."
First, Trump was notified in 2005 by the New York State Attorney-General's office that the school was in violation of consumer protection laws. That the school could not call itself a university or imply that courses were accredited. The school also did not have proper licensing. Despite promising New York it would stop operating until corrections were made, the school continued to operate with no changes made. Finally in 2010, after repeated complaints from New York State, the school dropped 'University' from its title and made some other changes as well. Nonetheless, in 2013 the state filed a $40 million class action lawsuit against the school, claiming it was still essentially a bait-and-switch operation: that students were promised one thing and delivered something else.
Throughout Trump responded by publicly insulting state officials, calling them hacks looking for publicity, claimed one official had tried to shake him down for a campaign contribution (the complaint was investigated and dismissed) and sued at least one of the plaintiffs for "defamation." (That suit too was dismissed as being without merit.)
And as usual, as a business venture, the school was ultimately a failure.
Originally Trump's legal team asked the judge in the ongoing class action suits (the same judge Trump repeatedly and publicly labeled "a hater" and "a disgrace") to delay the opening of the trial until after the election. Two days after the election Trump's lawyers asked the judge to delay the trial again, this time until after the inauguration.
Trump’s attorneys said he will be too busy with the presidential transition to participate in the Nov. 28 trial involving his defunct real estate seminar program, Trump University. They asked that the trial be postponed until February or March, after he has taken office....Judge Curiel expressed concern about the wisdom of a delay given that Trump will assume the presidency Jan. 20. Curiel said he will probably issue a ruling by Monday [Nov. 22nd].
Trump attorney Daniel Petrocelli...told reporters that holding a trial during Trump’s presidency would be better than during the intensive transition period.
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Judge Curiel also offered to facilitate a settlement by having a Federal District judge broker talks leading to an out-of-court settlement. This quickly led to Trump agreeing to pay $25 million to settle out of court. (I also wonder where the $25 million came from. Has Trump explained? Will we eventually find out it was money diverted from his charities or leftover campaign funds? Who knows.)
And our new president labels all of this a win? Governor Lowell Weiker was right: Trump
is a dirtbag!
