Posted on 02/23/2016 11:48:43 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Here's a part of the political calendar that nobody in the Republican Party seems to have noticed: This spring, just as the GOP nomination battle enters its final phase, frontrunner Donald Trump could be forced to take time out for some unwanted personal business: He's due to take the witness stand in a federal courtroom in San Diego, where he is being accused of running a financial fraud.
In court filings last Friday, lawyers for both sides in a long-running civil lawsuit over the now defunct Trump University named Trump on their witness lists. That makes it all but certain that the reality-show star and international businessman will be forced to be grilled under oath over allegations in the lawsuit that he engaged in deceptive trade practices and scammed thousands of students who enrolled in his "university" courses in response to promises he would make them rich in the real estate market.
Although the case has been winding its way through the courts for the past five years - and Trump has denied all wrongdoing - the final pretrial conference is now slated for May 6, according to the latest pleadings in the case. No trial date has been set, but the judge has indicated his interest in moving the case forward, the pleadings show.
"This is pretty amazing," said Scott Reed, a veteran Republican Party consultant, about Trump's upcoming due date in federal court. "Usually, you clean this stuff up before you run for president."
Trump's new lead lawyer in the case, Daniel Petrocelli, best known for representing one of the slain murder victims in a civil suit against O.J. Simpson, did not respond to emailed questions about Trump's upcoming testimony, including how long he expects his client to be on the witness stand.
As noted by Yahoo News last week, the Trump University case has already intruded on Trump's political schedule. On Dec. 10, 2015, during a day he was making international headlines over his pledge to ban Muslim immigrants from the United States, Trump managed to escape any press attention and give a closed-door pretrial deposition in the case, according to court filings reviewed by Yahoo News. Exactly what he said in the deposition remains under seal, but lawyers for Tarla Makaeff, a California yoga instructor who is the lead plaintiff in the case, cited portions of his testimony (blacked out in her pleadings) to support their contention that Trump has threatened to ruin her financially for bringing the lawsuit and that she needs protection from his "retaliation."
But the upcoming civil trial could be a much bigger burden on Trump's time. If it takes place in May, that would put it in the middle of the final phase of the GOP primary schedule: Nebraska and West Virginia vote on May 10, Oregon on May 17, and Washington state on May 24. Then on June 7, the biggest prize of all: the California primary (with 172 delegates at stake). New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota vote the same day.
While it is unclear how long the trial over Trump University will take, both sides have submitted lengthy witness lists: 72 individuals have been identified as prospective witnesses by the two sides. The case shows little sign of being settled. Trump just last December hired Petrocelli, a master litigator, and he recently identified 965 trial exhibits he expects to use at trial, including PowerPoint presentations, course curriculums, emails, letters, videos and other material. Picking jurors who have neutral views on Trump could present another time-consuming hurdle.
The core case revolves around the operations of a school Trump launched in 2005 with a promotional You Tube video, as well as ads that proclaimed, "I can turn anyone into a successful real estate investor, including you," "Are YOU My Next Apprentice?" and "Learn from my handpicked experts how you can profit from the largest real estate liquidation in history." The plaintiffs, former students at Trump University, allege they were misled into maxing out their credit cards and paying up to $60,000 in fees for seminars in hotel ballrooms and "mentoring" by Trump's "hand-picked" real estate experts. The lawsuit against the school, which is no longer in business, alleges the seminars turned into little more than an "infomercial" and the Trump mentors offered "no practical advice" and "mostly disappeared." New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a separate suit in 2013 alleging fraud on the part of the "university," which was never an accredited institution and awarded no degrees.
The Wall Street Journal is calling on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to release his tax returns by the end of the month.
The newspaper's conservative-leaning editorial board wrote Friday that Trump must prove he is as successful in the business world as he says he is.
"One of Donald Trump's claims to presidential competence is his business and financial success, and so he should want voters to see the proof beyond the gilded staircases," they wrote. "He could enhance his credibility on the point by releasing his tax returns."
The Journal catalogued Trump's repeated dodges on the question of his tax returns. They noted that he said in January that "I have everything all approved," but said last week that the returns will still take several months.
"Waiting that long suggests that he'd wait until he wins or loses the nomination, which means before primary voters can get a look," the editorial said.
It warned Trump against falling into the same "bad political mistake" 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney made in waiting until two months before that election to release his returns, allowing Democrats to spread speculation about Romney's finances.
The Journal noted that Trump's rivals Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have not released their most recent tax returns, but both publicized their returns when running for Senate in recent years.
Trump on Wednesday accused the Journal of having it out for him,........"
Hi there. You’re sounding pretty happy this fine morning.
".... Just a note, the cases listed below only include those filed in U.S. federal court. Who knows how many others were filed in state courts around the country."
Let’s stipulate he should haven’t launched Trump University without due foresight and care.
What’s he learned from that is failure can be an expensive lesson.
So maybe he’s learned from it and he’s put together a great campaign team.
That said, its its something Trump wishes he would rather forget and its probably going to be years before its settled.
trump donated to the democrat Harry Reid likes plannedparenthood and gay marriage.
Now, on to the SEC states, which Trump is going to win most of! :-)
And then on to Florida, which SHALL be another blowout for Trump.
I fear for his safety.
Ted Cruz took on the establishment of both parties while Trump was donating to them.
You'd best learn how to say and write PRESIDENT TRUMP, ASAP !
Lol!
"...In an effort to drum up business, Trump guaranteed that all Shuttle flights would arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time or passengers would be compensated. This was a foolish proposition for sure, as the northeast corridor airports were - and still are - very congested with delays being commonplace. The guarantee didn't last long, and soon after the Trump Shuttle began to reduce its schedule in the face of mounting losses. In September of 1990 Trump defaulted on his loan and control of the airline went back to the banks led by Citibank."...
ok, while i really don’t see the need to feed trolls, perhaps your point is...? reiterating that trump is masterful at the art of:
bravado?
dream building?
desiring more for people than they sometimes desire themselves?
making statements not entirely meant to be taken literally?
evoking sentiments of great big spectacularness?
said statements and sentiments, while perhaps not literal, are perhaps truthful?
and such figurative concepts might be effective in promoting ones perspective?
so in essence, you’re pointing out why trump might be the very best advocate against the left?
well at least you’re coming around cincinatus’ wife - welcome aboard the trump train to d.c.!~
Romney collapsed in one of the debates when the moderator asked him why he hadn’t released his returns and he said he might not. It’s journalistic malpractice that no one has yet asked Trump the same in the debates.
Cruz is part of the uniparty, who has accomplished NOTHING as a Senator.
Several sued him for securities fraud and breach of contract
ok this caught my attention. Bet the media are investigating this case and will launch an long running news cycle on it if trump wins the primaries. Hitlery will look angelic by the time the media has vetted all trumps scandals. I shall be amused!
No, he isn’t. What has Trump accomplished? Oh, I forgot, he never ran for office before. Convenient excuse.
Cruz engineered a shutdown to protest Obamacare that led to a mid-term slaughter of the Democrats.
The Donald is a breath of fresh air!
trump won’t be president. He is busy alienating 60% of Republican voters:)) trump is gonna implode with his own stupidity
The media has all of this ready to unload on Trump once we’re saddled with him.
Hillary will look like a saint in comparison.
Not to mention Trump’s years and years of siding with the Left and financially supporting their efforts.
Why vote for a Trump when you can get the real deal with Hillary?
We’re on the same page.
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