Trump University's Promise and Settlement

What happened

promise2010-01-01documented
In 2010, a Trump University advertisement promised learning from a Donald Trump hand-picked instructor using a systematic real-estate method.
- New York State Unified Court System: People v. Trump Entrepreneur Initiative LLC, 137 A.D.3d 4092016-03-01 · Pages 5-6, 2010 workshop advertisement and alleged representations
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action2016-12-19documented
The parties reached a settlement on December 19, 2016 that allocated funds between class members and the New York action, with no defendant admitting wrongdoing.
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: Low v. Trump University, LLC, No. 17-556352018-02-06 · Pages 8-9, settlement date, components and no-admission term
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outcome2017-03-31documented
The district court recorded that Trump University's successor paid the full $25 million into escrow, including $4 million distributed to the New York Attorney General, and approved the settlement.
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California: Low v. Trump University, Final Approval Order2017-03-31 · Document 618, pages 3-4, escrow funding and New York component
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: Low v. Trump University, LLC, No. 17-556352018-02-06 · Pages 8-9, settlement date, components and no-admission term
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administration response2016-06-07documented
Trump said students overwhelmingly approved the program and denied the fraud allegations.
- The American Presidency Project: Statement by Donald J. Trump Regarding Trump University2016-06-07 · Full statement
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limitation2018-04-10reported
Independent reporting described the settlement as final after the remaining objector withdrew, while retaining the no-admission posture.
- Reuters: Trump University settlement now final as objector drops appeal2018-04-10 · Settlement finality, amount and no-admission paragraphs
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Amounts and affected parties

restitutionTrump University Settlement$25 million settlement fund
Paid by / source
Trump University successor entity
Received by
Court-approved settlement escrow
realized · 2017-03-31 · observedRead source record
Calculation details
Population Trump University successor entity; Court-approved settlement escrow; Eligible former Trump University students; Eligible former Trump University students; New York Attorney General settlement fundPeriod 2016-12-19 to 2017-03-31Basis Use the district court's record of the full amount paid into escrow; do not add the $21 million and $4 million components again.Limits No admission of wrongdoing; this calculation records escrow funding, not the timing or amount of each later class-member distribution.

People and organizations

Eligible former Trump University studentsaffected party
Eligible former Trump University studentsbeneficiary
New York Attorney General settlement fundbeneficiary
Trump University successor entitypayer
Court-approved settlement escrowrecipient

Assessment

The marketing representations, the disputed student experience and the funded settlement are all documented. That settlement also stopped any merits judgment on the fraud allegations and carried no admission of wrongdoing.