“Trump University” had to change its name in 2011, but not before disappointing such students as have turned to New York’s Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who says the expensive seminars were mostly useless and failed to deliver on promises such as apprenticeships. Donald Trump, real estate mogul known for, among other things, his overweening ego, leading him to consider running for president last year, established this “university” to teach students how to become real estate superstars. Instead, many of them fell in debt or otherwise failed to secure even one deal.
“Trump University engaged in deception at every stage of consumers’ advancement through costly programs and caused real financial harm,” Schneiderman said. “Trump University, with Donald Trump’s knowledge and participation, relied on Trump’s name recognition and celebrity status to take advantage of consumers who believed in the Trump brand.”
As usual, Trump politicized the suit, claiming that Schneiderman was attempting to extort campaign contributions from Trump, and that the the suit was riddled with falsehoods, and further, that Trump never defrauded anyone. All this from Trump’s Attorney Michael D. Cohen. He referenced the 11,000 testimonials the program has inspired, with 98 percent of students calling the program “excellent.”
“The attorney general has been angry because he felt that Mr. Trump and his various companies should have done much more for him in terms of fundraising,” Cohen said. “This entire investigation is politically motivated and it is a tremendous waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Of course, it is irresponsible, if not straight out slander, to claim to have insight what another person “feels” or what “motivates” him, but the attorney seems to follow Trump’s willingness to carelessly psychologize the motivation of his opponents. Naturally enough, he also did a little ego-trumpeting on behalf of Trump:
“Donald Trump will not sit back and be extorted by anyone, including the attorney general,” Cohen said.
Nevertheless, with “Trump Elite,” mentorships costing $10,000 to $35,000, and with the university urging participants to extend the limits of their credit “for real estate deals,” only to have it pay for Trump Elite programs, the case is probably less political as Trump would allege it to be.