Times Colonist

Trump agrees to $25-million settlement over Trump U lawsuit

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SAN DIEGO — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has agreed to a $25 million settlement to resolve three lawsuits over Trump University, his former school for real estate investors.

The deal announced Friday by New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderm­an would settle a lawsuit he filed three years ago, plus two class-action lawsuits in California filed on behalf of former Trump University students.

The suits allege that Trump University failed to deliver on its promise to teach success in real estate through programs that cost up to $35,000. They say the program misled students by calling itself a university when it wasn’t an accredited school and by saying that Trump “hand-picked” instructor­s.

Messages left with several of Trump’s attorneys and a spokeswoma­n were not returned Friday.

Trump has strongly denied the allegation­s and said during the election campaign that he wouldn’t settle. He told supporters at a May rally that he would come to San Diego to testify after winning the presidency. “I could have settled this case numerous times, but I don’t want to settle cases when we’re right. I don’t believe in it. And when you start settling cases, you know what happens? Everybody sues you because you get known as a settler. One thing about me, I am not known as a settler,” Trump said at the time. The deal does not require Trump to acknowledg­e wrongdoing.

Schneiderm­an said the $25 million to be paid by Trump or one of his business entities includes restitutio­n for victims and $1 million in penalties to the state.

“Donald Trump fought us every step of the way, filing baseless charges and fruitless appeals and refusing to settle for even modest amounts of compensati­on for the victims of his phoney university. Today, that all changes,” Schneiderm­an said. He called the settlement “a stunning reversal by Donald Trump and a major victory for the over 6,000 victims of his fraudulent university.”

A federal judge in California had been set Friday to consider arguments on Trump’s latest request to delay a trial until after Trump’s inaugurati­on on Jan. 20.

Trump’s attorneys said in a court filing last week preparatio­ns for the White House were “critical and all-consuming.” Six months ago, when they unsuccessf­ully sought a delay until after Inaugurati­on Day, lead attorney Daniel Petrocelli said the period between the election and swearing-in is extremely hectic for a presidente­lect but that it was preferable to a trial during the campaign.

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