By Alec Brooks of Kazerouni Law Group, APC on Friday, November 25, 2016.
After previous November elections, former President-Elects usually envision next taking the stand at their inauguration in late January, where they’re sworn in by the Chief Justice. In more ways than one, Donald J Trump isn’t like most previous President-Elects. Before he was able to focus on his big day in January, he had to think about taking another stand: in front of a jury.
Donald Trump has been facing alleged fraud violations regarding Trump University for six years.
The fact that the first trial was slated for just just two weeks after the election, well some would call that bad timing. The Monday after Thanksgiving traditionally has been set aside for Americans to shift out of vacation mode and emerge from their food comas. Though, our President-Elect had this day scheduled to defend allegations of fraud against his unaccredited University which didn’t grant degrees or offer its students credits or grades. Trump would have to take the stand, because he refused to settle.
” I could have settled this case numerous times, but I don’t want to settle cases when we’re right,” Trump said. “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 went as far as to call out other moguls who’ve settled before and insinuated that they were cowards. He had no plans to settle this case, until he did. After six years of disputing the fraud charges, and many efforts by his attorneys to push the trial date past his inauguration, Trump settled. The $25 million settlement was reached on Friday, Nov. 15. The deal, “Averts a potentially embarrassing and highly unusual predicament,” according to Steve Eder of the New York Times.
Trump didn’t offer a press release or a public address on the matter, instead, as he often does, he took to Twitter.
“I settled the Trump University lawsuit for a small fraction of the potential award because as President I have to focus on our country,” Trump tweeted.
As considerate as it is of him to put the country first here, he’s not off of the hook quite yet. According to USA Today, 75 suits involving Trump and his businesses remained open two weeks before the election took place. These suits range from sexual harassment claims to unpaid caterers from his hotel chain.
It’s frowned upon to have any charges pending against you while seeking employment, even if you’re eyeing a nice corner office rather than an oval one. If we all can learn something from the soon-to-be 45th U.S. President’s predicament it would be that if you’re facing legal trouble, it’s best to tie up all the loose ends on it as quickly as possible. It’s best not to have skeletons that can rear their head right as you’re preparing to become leader of the free world.
Trump University isn’t the first “college” that has misrepresented itself and lured people into its courses using various bait and switch tactics. ITT Technical Institute has been sued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for claims that it was scamming students and was forced to shut down all 130 of its campuses in September. If you or someone that you know attend one of America’s many for-profit colleges and believe that the school has taken advantage of you, there might be something we can do. Contact Kazerouni Law Group at 800-400-6808 for your free consultation.