Judge appears close to approving Trump University deal
SAN DIEGO — A judge on Thursday sharply questioned a challenge to a lawsuit settlement involving a $25 million payment by President Donald Trump to former customers of his now-defunct Trump University but stopped short of giving final approval to the deal that would end nearly seven years of litigation.
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel said the payment represented “an extraordinary amount” of money for thousands of former customers and he expressed doubts about a Florida woman’s claim that she should be allowed to opt out of the settlement and sue the president on her own — a move that would likely scuttle the entire agreement.
Curiel said at the end of an hour-long hearing that he would rule at a later time on the final approval involving two lawsuits before him and a civil lawsuit by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
The lawsuits contend that Trump University gave nationwide seminars that were like infomercials, constantly pressuring people to spend more and, in the end, failing to deliver on its promises.