2016 Lawyers in Trump University case seek maximum political pain
Legal fight is escalating over potential release of real estate mogul’s deposition videos.
However, legal experts say the plaintiffs’ lawyers’ approach in the long-running litigation seems less driven by political loyalties and more by opportunism — a chance to capitalize on Trump’s predicament to try to force him into a financial settlement far more costly than would have been on the table before his improbable political ascent.
.. A dispute erupted over the developer’s refusal to answer some questions based on advice from his lawyer, Daniel Petrocelli.
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During the deposition, Trump circled around questions posed by Jason Forge, an attorney for the plaintiffs, often answering them with questions of his own or saying he didn’t remember people or incidents because they took place too long ago.
“Just answer the questions and we’ll get through it quickly,” Forge said at one point.
“You’re not going to get anything through quickly,” Trump replied. “You don’t want to get anything through quickly.”
.. Gallo wrote in an order giving the plaintiffs’ lawyers another 3½ hours to question Trump.
.. During the deposition held that day on the 61st floor of the Trump International Hotel — the same floor on which Trump reportedly has a penthouse suite for his own use — the lawyers pushing the Trump University suits zeroed in on Trump’s past statements about Bill and Hillary Clinton and former Republican Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and George Pataki of New York.
.. “It seems to me the import of the questions is that Trump says things without believing them to be true. That is also and partly the claim of the Trump University plaintiffs,” the NYU law professor said. “So, while the questions may seem more political than legal, there really is a legal angle to the questions.”
.. setting the first trial for about three weeks after the November election in order to try to avoid what Petrocelli has called a publicity “zoo”
.. “Trump made many spontaneous and ad hominem remarks that are not reflected in the paper transcript of his depositions. Last, Trump’s tone, facial expressions, gestures, and body language are also not reflected in the paper transcripts, yet they speak volumes to … Trump’s complete and utter unfamiliarity with the instructors and ‘instruction’ that student-victims received, instead of ‘my hand-picked instructors [teaching] my techniques, which took my entire career to develop,’ which is what Trump promised,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers wrote.
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Trump has publicly attacked the opposing lawyers on their politics, too — though both Trump and his trial lawyer in the case also have a history of donating to Hillary Clinton.