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Judge approves $25 million settlement in Trump University cases
Trump should have been prosecuted in federal court for interstate criminal fraud.By Rosalind S. Helderman
March 31, 2017
A federal judge has given final approval to a $25 million settlement to litigation against Trump University, a now-defunct real estate seminar program once owned by Donald Trump. Trump had agreed not long after his election to settle two class-action suits filed by former customers of the program in California, as well as a New York state lawsuit. The suits argued that Trump University defrauded customers, some of whom paid more than $30,000 to participate in the seminars, with false advertisements promising that they would learn Trump's personal real estate tricks and that Trump had hand-picked seminar leaders. In depositions, Trump acknowledged he did not choose instructors.
The $25 million includes a $1 million penalty paid to New York state for violating the state’s education laws by calling the program a “university” despite offering no degrees or traditional education. In a statement, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who brought the action, said the settlement would “provide relief — and hopefully much-needed closure — to the victims of Donald Trump's fraudulent university.” “Trump University's victims waited years for compensation, while President Trump refused to settle and fought us every step of the way — until his stunning reversal last fall,” he said. “In particular, I am pleased that we were able to ensure that members of the class-action settlement will receive an even higher settlement than originally anticipated.”
