AP
Donald Trump was being sued by more than 6000 victims whom he'd conned into handing over up to $35 000 (£28 000) each in exchange for what he falsely-described as 'real estate secrets taught by his own hand-picked instructors.'
Previously, Mr Trump had repeatedly lied to US electors by boasting he would never settle these class-action lawsuits, because he was completely innocent and was, therefore, easily going to win them.
New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, has described this development as 'a stunning reversal by Donald Trump and a major victory for the victims of his fraudulent university.'
Predictably, Trump's lead attorney, Daniel Petrocelli is now pretending that his client is pleased with the outcome, saying 'he was willing to sacrifice his personal interests, to put this behind him, and move forward.'
Trump faced three lawsuits - two in California and one New York. One of the California suits accused him of racketeering.
The trial in the first (non-racketeering) California case had been due to begin in San Diego federal court on November 28th.
Mr Schneiderman, whom Mr Trump has attempted to character assassinate, had sought $40 millions to compensate victims of the fake university which was forced to close in 2010. Earlier this year, Schneiderman described Trump's operation as a 'fraud from beginning to end... preying on desperate people.'
At no stage has Donald Trump expressed the slightest concern for any of the plaintiffs in these cases. Indeed he has posed as the victim himself, despite the fact that he personally pocketed around $5 millions.
At first glance, perhaps the most astonishing aspect of these matters, is the fact that Trump was never arrested and has not faced criminal prosecution, but then, even though it bore his name as bait, the 'Trump University' advance fee fraud was deliberately set up behind a Mafia-style front of legally-registered corporate structures designed to prevent, and/or divert, investigation, and isolate Boss Trump from criminal liability. Yet this type of criminogenic system is exactly what the US federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act, 1970, was originally drafted to tackle.
David Brear (copyright 2016)
Well that was fast!
ReplyDeleteDavid, I did just ask you what were the chances of this proceeding to court...
Now we know.
Eric - With around a week before the first trial date, all the clues were there that this racketeering dodge was imminent. As soon a Trump was elected, his attorneys began to introduce the latest reality-inverting chapter of the fairy story.
DeleteI don't know if you have seen this chilling televison documentary (linked below) which was made for Channel Four UK, just before Trump won the Republican nomination.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M08RYheIuI
Of particular interest is Trump's creepy stalking of the iconic Scottish television personality, Selina Scott; along with his psychopathic, bully-boy behaviour towards the valiant, and dignified, Scots citizens who merely stood up against his grandiose golf course project in defence of their homes and way of life.
Trump has become President by pretending affinity with ordinary US voters, but the evidence proves that he systematically sees himself as being superior to any ordinary men and women who refuse to bow down to him.
Trump would have been humiliated if this case had gone to trial. You can't just say you are a university.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - By a strange coincidence, the 'Herbalife,' and other 'MLM' racketeers, have also been using the term 'university' to commit fraud.
DeleteI understand that in the USA all real universities are strictly licensed and specific laws exist which forbid charlatans from using the term. No one disputes that Trump had no right to employ the term 'University, so how this open and shut civil case has so far taken 6 years beggars belief, but then attorneys are paid by the hour.
I wasn't aware of the documentary but did watch it per your reference and must say that, while another excellent production by Channel Four, none of it truly surprised me.
ReplyDeleteHaving lived here for my entire existence, Trump is just a natural for the office. I've met his "base". His base are my co-workers and "neighbors"...some of whom are erstwhile very nice people, but have a very narrow view of the world. I've observed this sort of closed thinking for a lifetime now and sort of view a Trump presidency as the "natural progression" of things. I'm more surprised that it took so long for this type of ascendancy. It's been latent and always bubbling beneath the surface (AM talk radio anyone?), but I believe it took an Obama(type)in that office to really force the gloves to come off and the fangs to come out.
At the end of the day, in these parts of the world, race is a primary driving factor. Specifically the black/brown/"other" threat against white christian values. Whatever anyone says to the contrary, Donald Trump's win is a direct repudiation of ALL things Barack Obama. Period. Sure, alot of people detests the Clintons for some obvious reasons but again, I've met his supporters, some directly, and some not so much and can say with full confidence that Obama's win(2x) sparked a latent fire that Trump has played majestically. All of the "anti-establishment" talk is rank BS as many are still singing "hosanna" even as Trump slowly packs his cabinet with the very same "establishment".
Moral relativity at its apex is now on full display...as "God-fearing" Christians can overlook the "moral lapses" (if not socio-pathic and/or criminal behavior) of DJT if it means BELIEVING that Trump is the polar opposite of Obama.....
Eric - I have to say that my brother and mother, although not Americans, were exactly the type of people who would have been duped by Trump.
ReplyDeleteI've already been asked by several people whether I consider the Trump phenomenon to be cultic and I've received a steady stream of links to somewhat simplistic articles (like these below), asking what I think and if I will be posting my own analysis?
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/09/drinking-the-orange-kool-aid-cult-expert-says-trump-is-like-rev-jim-jones-but-far-more-dangerous/
http://www.gq.com/story/the-cult-of-trump
Funny that they'd ask that question. A good read of this blog has already provided boatloads of understandable analysis of that very subject...
ReplyDeleteThanks Eric.
DeleteWith an irony close to exquisite, this morning I read Trump might be about to offer the post of US Secretary of State to Mitt Romney.
Romney is a man who openly described Trump as a fraud, but who apparently believes that Jesus was born in Missouri, because another self-annointed American Messiah said so in a book first produced, and peddled as 'revealed truth,' in the 19th century, but written in 17th century English.
Romney as been associated with plenty of 'MLM' cultic rackets himself; particularly, the one known as 'NuSkin.'
If this charade couldn't get any funnier.
ReplyDelete"Drain the swamp" and then refill it with the same contaminated water.
Eric - I'm reminded of the satirist Tom Lehrer who, in 1973, commented that Henry Kissenger's Nobel Peace Prize had henceforth, rendered political satire obsolete.
DeleteI think for comic value, Trump's election as 'the philanthropic billionaire champion of working, and middle, class Americans,' will now take some beating.
That said, perhaps Trump's next comic move will be to give Bernie Madoff a full Presidential Pardon and then nominate him for the Nobel Economics Laureate?
Hi David. You mentioned a good while ago about certain connections between MLM / Amway / DeVos and the military-industrial complex. It seems that those connections are still rife
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/10/22/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-loves-anti-iraq-war-donald-trump0.html
Ambler21 - Nice to hear from you.
DeleteIt's an open secret that 'Blackwater' was a corporate-front for the CIA. As a US commercial company, its employees were neither subject to US military law nor the criminal laws of the countries where they worked. 'Blackwater' has been at the centre of many scandals, but conveniently has long-since ceased to exist.
One of the ostensible bosses of the 'Amway' racket is none other than the brother-in-law of Erik Prince, the ostensible instigator of 'Blackwater.'
Did I mention the following disturbing episode?
When 'Amway' faced civil investigation/prosecution in the UK back in 2007, I was promised by civil regulators that after 'Amway' had been closed in the UK, a full Serious Fraud Office investigation would be launched. However, I then discovered that the 'Amway UK 'front company was represented by Eversheds LLP and that working for Eversheds at this time, was none other than Peter Kiernan, former deputy director of the UK Serious Fraud Office.
When Kiernan left the SFO after 17 years, he was on only around £170k a year, and he also held the title of senior policy maker.
As the person whose complaints had triggered the 'Amway' civil investigation, I spoke at length with Kiernan who then suddenly resigned from Eversheds prior to the 'Amway' prosecution going to trial, but he never openly declared the real reason for this. Kiernan then was given a 'partnership' with Crowell and Moring LLP at its new London bureau.
Crowell and Moring had been Erik Prince and Blackwater's attorneys in the USA and, at that time, the firm declared an international turnover in excess of $200 millions with 'partners' each receiving in excess of half a million $ annually profit sharing + salaries.
In other words, the former deputy director of the UK SFO was employed by the corporate front for a serious fraud which he'd completely failed to detect, let alone stop whilst at the SFO. When this was pointed out to him, Kiernan distanced himself from the fraud and shut his mouth, but mysteriously he was immediately given a highly-paid job with another law firm with a deep connection to the 'Amway' fraud.
After the UK government failed to shut 'Amway UK Ltd. in 2008,' I called Kiernan again to ask him what the hell was going on, but he claimed to be completely unaware that Crowell and Moring was linked to 'Amway' via Blackwater and Erik Prince.
At this point, I began to take the piss out of Peter Kiernan, suggesting that either he was a world class actor or a world class fool, but he hung up.
And now Trump picks Betsy DeVos as Education secretary.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've just posted that tragicomic news and I'll be posting yet another full explanation of the 'Amway' racket tomorrow, because few people in the mainstream media seem to know.
DeleteI was joking before, but Donald Trump really is getting ever-closer to Bernie Madoff on his list.