A federal judge has ordered Donald Trump’s Trump University staff to release internal documents, NBC News reported.
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In his decision, Judge Gonzalo Curiel ordered the documents, totaling about 1,000 pages, must be released by June 2. The judge – Gonzalo Curiel – he’s a Mexican, Trump believes, but that’s “great” and “fine”.
Three suits have been filed against the “university” in recent years-two class action lawsuits in California and one by NY state’s attorney general, who called the business a “classic bait-and-switch scheme”. The judge pointed to a previous case, saying that courts deciding on public disclosure must weigh “whether a party benefiting from the order of confidentiality is a public entity or official; and… whether the case involves issues important to the public”.
‘Attendees who were promised a personal photo with Trump received only the chance to take a photo with a cardboard cutout, and many instructors were bankrupt real estate investors, the lawsuit says.
Trump and his lawyers, however, have continually defended the for-profit university, citing stellar student reviews.
Curiel issued his order within hours of Trump’s 12-minute verbal assault against the judge Friday at a San Diego campaign event. This should have been dismissed on summary judgment easily, ‘ Trump said.
As for whether the case is of public interest, Judge Curiel agreed, and couldn’t help but take a subtle dig at Trump.
It is unclear whether the judge was aware of Trump’s Friday tirade, which was taking place about the same time Curiel was ruling on the Washington Post’s request for the records. “Frankly, he should recuse himself because he’s given us ruling after ruling after ruling, negative, negative, negative”.
This isn’t the first time Trump has attacked the federal judge.
Judge Curiel, whose parents are Mexican, was born in Indiana. Trump also said the information has commercial value because although they stopped enrolling students in 2010 – ‘they may do so again.’ The Judge didn’t agree with Trump’s legal reasoning, and ruled against him.
Curiel said in his order Friday that Trump’s presidential campaign and his criticism of the court were reasons to overrule his objections to the release of so-called “Playbooks” describing Trump University’s operations.
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“The judge should have thrown the case out on summary judgment but because it was me and because there’s a hostility towards me by the judge – tremendous hostility – beyond belief – I believe he happens to be Spanish, which is fine – he’s Hispanic, which is fine, and we haven’t asked for recusal, which we may do, but we have a judge who’s very hostile”.
