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Documents Reveal What Trump Actually Said About His University
CBS News ^ | March 7, 2016 | Julianna Goldman, Laura Strickler

Posted on 03/07/2016 10:34:32 AM PST by Steelfish

Julianna Goldman, Laura Strickler CBS News March 7, 2016 Documents Reveal What Trump Actually Said About His University Republican groups fighting Donald Trump are trying everything to derail the front-runner, including airing ads targeting Trump University. The program sold nearly 7,000 students on learning the billionaire's real estate secrets, but the school began winding down in 2010. More than 150 former students allege it was a fraud. Three lawsuits have been filed, one $40 million case in New York brought by the state's attorney general and two class action suits in California. Trump University began in 2004 with online courses and in 2007 it started offering live events across the country as seminars in hotel ballrooms. There was a three-day, $1,500 course where students were urged to sign up for a $35,000 mentorship program. In a tweet yesterday defending the school, Trump pointed to a 98 percent satisfaction rate, but court documents show that nearly 40 percent of the students who signed up for the three-day seminar or more received a refund. Trump's critics say the next week is critical to stopping the Republican front-runner, and they're betting Trump University is their best weapon. "I could have settled it, I think, pretty easy, I don't like settling cases," Trump said on "Face the Nation." But by refusing to settle, Trump has opened the door to attacks at the peak of his presidential bid and distractions on the campaign trail -- like the 10 hours in December and January he spent in closed-door depositions for the two class-action lawsuits. Court documents reveal that attorneys for the other side zeroing in on Trump's claim, as seen in a promotional video, that he chose all the instructors.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 98percentfraud; albertogonzales; gonzalocuriel; gopebotattack; laraza; madoff; presidentdonaldtrump; roveinaction; smearmachine; trump; trumpbaggage; trumpfraud; trumpscam; trumpu; trumpuniversity
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To: Slyfox

“Trump accrued 40 million in revenue from Trump University.’

Negative. The suit filed by the AG alleges $5M went to Trump. The actual amount is certain to be considerably less.

But don’t let the truth get in the way of your leftist BS.


41 posted on 03/07/2016 11:29:45 AM PST by moehoward
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To: Stegall Tx
What did he say last week ... his position on legal immigration is "evolving"?

source? Did Trump say that or, was that part of Cruz's LIE that there was 'a bombshell' in the NY times tape that Cruz demanded Trump 'release to prove you're innocent' like smarmy lawyers trying to convict in public before a trial?

Trump has always said that illegals need to leave but many will be welcomed back with open arms if they apply for visas/permanent citizenship status like everyone else. He wants to keep homeowners, business owners and talent. Cruz has always said that he will go around laws to round up illegals, business owners included, and deport them never to return again. Which plan has the best chance of fomenting a civil war? Which plan has the best chances for success? Maybe Cruz is the person who needs to 'evolve'.

42 posted on 03/07/2016 11:31:23 AM PST by blueplum
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To: Steelfish

“How can that be if 40% were given refunds as stated on court documents?”

The 98% (A) rating is from the BBB. It tracks only complaints opened and how those complaints are handled while the BBB acts as mediator.

I have yet to see any BBB complaints logged while the business what still open. It appears they started around the time the AG started “investigating” a year or so after it shut down. He waited around two years to file the case. The BBB rating fluctuated during that period as open cases were resolved.


43 posted on 03/07/2016 11:39:18 AM PST by moehoward
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To: Stegall Tx

There’s a couple of suits. So it’s a little hard to keep track.


44 posted on 03/07/2016 11:42:03 AM PST by moehoward
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To: Covenantor

No. Jeff is correct about the NY suit. There’s another “class action” trying to work it’s way in CA.


45 posted on 03/07/2016 11:45:12 AM PST by moehoward
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To: Steelfish

Why didn’t CBS go after Obama like this, on grades, health records, birth, scandals of IRS, F & F, Benghazi, etc?


46 posted on 03/07/2016 11:53:02 AM PST by Rennes Templar (President Trump: It's all over but the counting)
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To: traderrob6

“Like a typical carnival barker, nothing inside is ever as promised.”

_______________________________________

Most carnival barkers’ promises don’t generate a 98% approval rating from consumers.

But that doesn’t fit your desired narrative, I see...


47 posted on 03/07/2016 11:54:27 AM PST by ConservativeWarrior (Fall down 7 times, stand up 8. - Japanese proverb)
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To: dynoman

TRUMP UNIVERSITY HAS A 98% APPROVAL RATING?

DYNOMITE!!

That’s almost as high as the approval ratings of the President of N Korea, or Iran, or Saddam Hussein before we tragically took him out.


48 posted on 03/07/2016 11:54:35 AM PST by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: Jeff Head; Steelfish
So, there were 7,000 total students and 150 of them say it was a fraud.

That’s just over 2%.

That would give credence to Trump’s 98% number.

Except that if 150 people thought it was a fraud, there have to have been a lot of others whose opinions were in between "satisfied" and "fraud".

49 posted on 03/07/2016 11:56:50 AM PST by wideminded
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To: 1_Rain_Drop

The California case is a RICO action. When the plaintiffs win, and they will. Each of them will be entitled to treble damages and attorney fees and other legal expenses.

This is not normal type of class action lawsuit that usually benefits only the lawyers.


50 posted on 03/07/2016 11:58:45 AM PST by SeaHawkFan
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To: MNJohnnie

Three appellate courts have ruled against Trump in his attempts to get the cases dismissed, so the cases have plenty of merit.


51 posted on 03/07/2016 11:58:45 AM PST by SeaHawkFan
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To: dynoman

What are all those links supposed to prove exactly?

As far as I understand the suit is ongoing still and Trump is going to have to give a deposition in the summer about it.

But yeah, the media sure won’t make hay of that now will they? Suuureee they won’t.

It’ll be great having our nominee be in court testifying during his own fraud trial. The optics there are real great. < /sarc >


52 posted on 03/07/2016 12:00:53 PM PST by FourtySeven (47)
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To: Covenantor

I was once elected to be in a walmart law suit. But the issue being brought to court wasn’t one that applied to the department I worked in.

They just grab names of nearly anybody who might stand a remote chance of being paid a whole whopping $5.00. There may be 5k names listed on the University Suit, and there may be only 2 people who MIGHT have a valid complaint, or something close.

That’s just how those things work.

Yes, Trump quipped that he doesn’t like to settle. And yes, it’s opened the door for questions. There’s just as much possibility that there’s nothing to the suit as there is that something may have gone wrong. At the same time, he’s not going to be intimidated. How might that play out on the word scene such as the settlement between Iran and the USA???

It means he’s not going to let the USA be taken hostage by rouge countries. He’ll play hardball. Appeasement is exactly the reason we have the world problems that we do.

If the people fail to elect him, the msg I get from it is that the people truly don’t care about principle, freedom, and strength. They want to be raped by muzzies and have their wallets picked. They want safety over freedom and are willing to let go of their guns. Because those are the only options left under ANY of the other candidates.

You can’t have someone like Cruz tossing the constitution card when in fact, he has no legs of his own to stand on and is obligated to guard the wallet he sold his soul to.

Sanders wants 90% of your buck to give away to whomever he desires, while Hillary doesn’t care if you are deskinned, raped, and burned alive, to death. As long as she can toss her snobbish head over her shoulder cuz she thinks she’s the man.

I really get a kick out of people who don’t like Trump because they think he’s a bully. What do you want, a shrinking violet when Iran or NK aim a nuke in your direction? Do you really think if you shake, pee your pants, beg and cry that they will pull back the nukes?

Come on!!

Law suits in this political arena are meaningless. It’s simply a means of doing business. Most of us aren’t in business, or big business so to us, it’s a big deal, except it isn’t in reality.


53 posted on 03/07/2016 12:05:43 PM PST by PrairieLady2 (If ya Cruz, ya looze!)
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To: Covenantor

When I was in business, I ended up being involved in several class action lawsuits. Some I responded to some not. In ALL cases that ended up winners, I won $hit!. Some useless discount on future purchases, or a dollar amount so small that it wasn’t worth the paperwork or postage.

It’s all a scam to pump up the numbers of claimants for the lawyers who make all the money. This so called 5000 number is just that.


54 posted on 03/07/2016 12:11:10 PM PST by faucetman ( Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)
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To: Steelfish
How can that be if 40% were given refunds as stated on court documents?

They probably had a week or so to ask for a refund and drop the class after they heard the first session and how much work they were going to have to do actually to make that money. When we have a 47% rate of food stamps/welfare in this country, are you really surprised that 40% were too lazy to do the work involved in real estate investment, and got out? It is no walk in the park -- I've renovated half a dozen properties and can tell you that.

When I was teaching college, I made the first week pretty hard. That way, the dead wood would get up and drop the class, and things went smoothly after that.

55 posted on 03/07/2016 12:19:22 PM PST by Albion Wilde (Who can actually defeat the Democrats in 2016? -- the most important thing about all candidates.)
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To: Sacajaweau
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/03/04/donald_trump_confronted_over_trump_university_in_fox_news_debate.html

A lead plaintiff is now getting out of the case because it's "so bad for her." This might be the most upsetting thing Trump said. He seemed to imply that a lead plaintiff is leaving one of the San Diego suits because she realized she had made some sort of mistake or that she was going to lose her case. But what that plaintiff's attorney says is that she's trying to leave the case (there's a hearing about whether she'll be allowed to do so on March 11) because she is afraid of Trump retaliating against her. From the Los Angeles Times:

In a motion to the judge, [Tarla] Makaeff’s lawyer says her client has endured health problems, family loss and financial troubles since the case began, and she is ready to let the other three class representatives — including Chula Vista resident Sonny Low — carry the case forward.

“Subjecting herself to the intense media attention and likely barbs from Trump and his agents and followers simply would not be healthy for her,” the motion argues ... Makaeff’s lawyer said that even after Trump’s defamation suit was dismissed, her client has lived in fear of financial ruin, and that “she still has great trepidation about retaliation.”

As Kelly correctly pointed out, Trump's defamation suit against Makaeff was thrown out and he was ordered to pay $800,000 for her legal fees. Tonight Trump called the suit that Makaeff is involved in "a minor civil case."

56 posted on 03/07/2016 12:29:11 PM PST by Elderberry
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To: SeaHawkFan
All it shows is that the Class Counsel got past whatever motions the Defense filed to short circuit the process. It is not the same thing as proving their case.

But this whole thread is nothing more than a biased effort to beg the relevant question.

It is also perfectly obvious, that if Hillary somehow survives the nominating process on the other side, no one--no rational person--will ever equate this legal dispute, with the baggage that Mrs. Clinton brings to the table.

We need to stop cannibalizing our fellow Conservatives. The fact is that there are too many lawyers, who employ tactics to stir up litigation to cover their office expenses. As an attorney, I see it all the time. A lot of suits are motivated by the hope of a settlement, rather than some profound dedication to the idea that the "truth will set you free."

57 posted on 03/07/2016 12:32:00 PM PST by Ohioan
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To: Steelfish

Well we’ll find out the outcome of this civil case in 2 - 3 years won’t we.

And I’m so glad that conservatives and Reps are so against tort-reform.


58 posted on 03/07/2016 12:34:56 PM PST by Harpotoo
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To: dynoman

Easy. Schneiderman is looking out for Hillary. She’s terrified of Trump. Anything to stop Trump.


59 posted on 03/07/2016 12:40:20 PM PST by Tucker39 (Welcome to America! Now speak English; and keep to the right....In driving, in Faith, and politics.)
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To: moehoward

I’ve been in business. Member of BBB. It’s a shakedown, pure and simple. Pay to play. You get what you pay for.


60 posted on 03/07/2016 12:41:41 PM PST by gg188 (Ted Cruz, R - Goldman Sachs)
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