Trump Settles Trump University Suits for $25M: Official

Thos Robinson/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Attorneys for President-elect Donald Trump have settled all three fraud civil lawsuits against the now-defunct Trump University for $25 million and no admission of wrongdoing, according to a source familiar with the settlement negotiations.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who had brought one of the suits against the program, confirmed the settlement in a statement, saying he was “pleased” with the outcome and that it amounted to a “stunning reversal by Donald Trump and a major victory for the over 6,000 victims of his fraudulent university.” Representatives for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this report.

Schneiderman said that under the terms of the settlement, “every victim will receive restitution” and that Trump will pay up to $1 million in penalties to the state of New York “for violating state education laws.” The two other suits were brought by plaintiffs in California.

Schneiderman had argued that Trump University was a “fraud from beginning to end.” Critics, including former students and employees, said the “university” targeted desperate people and pressured them into purchasing more and more expensive programs with less regard for actually teaching real estate business skills.

Trump and his attorneys have defended the program, saying it imparted valuable knowledge and that a vast majority of former students were happy with their experience. In February Trump tweeted that he could have settled the suits long ago but would not “out of principle.”

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