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By Miriam Raftery
October 24, 2016 (San Diego) -- Federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel in San Diego has turned down a request by Donald Trump’s lawyers who sought to dismiss a case alleging that Trump University defrauded students in its real estate seminars. So the case is headed to trial—but not until after the election.
Trump’s attorneys have also asked the judge to bar statements from the presidential campaign about his personal conduct to be considered as evidence in the trial. Judge Curiel will hear that request on November 10th.
On tape, Trump boasted about groping women but later claimed that was just locker room talk. Over a dozen women have since come forward to claim he sexually assaulted them, though Trump denies all of those allegations.
Trump’s lawyers don’t want the court to hear about that, or about controversies over his corporate bankruptcies, tax issues, beauty pageants, casinos, and his charitable foundation. The attorneys, in a sweeping move, have even sought to exclude Trump’s own statements in his campaign speeches and tweets, as well as all audios and videos released during the campaign.
Various nonpartisan groups have found that Trump lied far more than any of his opponents in the primary and general election.
The attorneys also want to exclude information about students’ financial situations.
Trump previously tried unsuccessfully to remove Judge Curiel from hearing the case, because of his Mexican descent, even though Curiel is a citizen born in the U.S. Trump has made disparaging remarks likening Mexican immigrants to “rapists” and “murderers”, also backing building of a border wall.
The civil trial over Trump University is set to begin on November 28th.
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