On Friday, Presidential candidate Donald Trump used a campaign stop as a literal bully pulpit, assailing the “Mexican” “hater” federal judge presiding over the Trump University litigation, Hon. Gonzalo Curiel. That same day, Curiel unsealed documents related to the case against the New York real estate mogul, who is being accused of fleecing thousands of people who took Trump-branded real estate seminars.
Speaking to a crowd in California, Trump ranted against Curiel for twelve minutes, accusing Curiel of everything from judicial malfeasance, to being biased against Trump because Curiel is “Mexican” (he was born and raised in Indiana), and because Curiel was appointed by Barack Obama.
“I think Judge Curiel should be ashamed of himself,” Mr. Trump told the crowd. “I’m telling you, this court system, judges in this court system, federal court, they ought to look into Judge Curiel. Because what Judge Curiel is doing is a total disgrace, OK?”
Trump also told San Diego supporters that Trump University was great, and that it had received “over 10,000” positive reviews.
The former students, who paid up to $35,000 for Trump’s classes and who are now suing Trump would beg to differ – and because of Judge Curiel’s Friday order, Americans may now know more about how Trump University dealt with bad media and complaining pupils. Curiel signed the order stating that the documents were “routine” and that they posed no danger to the case; he stopped short of issuing any formal sanctions against Trump for his tantrum.
The Trump University case is scheduled to go to trial in August, just in time for the Presidential debates and just a few weeks after Trump will secure the Republican nomination. The case, in District court because the plaintiffs are in several states, covers everything from fraud to false advertising and unfair business practices, to claims that Trump’s real estate workshops actively preyed on vulnerable elderly investors.
According to the plaintiffs’ filing documents, Trump University salesmen regularly encouraged prospective students to cash in their 401(K)s and retirement savings to pay for the CD-ROM classes and live seminars, promising that they’d do better as a member of Trump’s national real estate program than as a greeter at Wal-Mart. The program, run, reportedly, without a license from Trump’s New York headquarters, allegedly asked students to raise credit card limits, submit financial disclosures and buy into “elite” investment programs.
Trump says the claims are baseless, but the Federal courts don’t seem to agree and the case has survived multiple efforts at dismissal, and the story is surprisingly sticky. Trump, himself, is taking the case seriously, hiring high-powered attorneys, including the lawyer who won the civil suit against O.J. Simpson raised by Ron Goldman’s family.
The judge, however, seems unlikely to be swayed by Trump’s bombastic behavior.