Trump Conflicting Answers about Trump University Hiring

 

The University is the subject of three pending lawsuits in California and New York where plaintiffs have accused Trump University of being a sham.

During the interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, Trump was asked if he “hand picked the instructors” for his university.

"I looked at every resume. I met with some people,” he said. “I didn't meet with everybody. It's not my main business. I did this to help people.”

Yet during the December 2015 deposition connected with one of these pending cases, and first reported on by Yahoo News’ Michael Isakoff, Trump changed his tune.

"I don't know the people. I wasn't running it. I don't know the people,” Trump responded when asked who the instructors at Trump University were or if they were qualified. "I don't know that because I was not running it. I don't know who the people are.” Later on in that same deposition, Trump was asked about the selection process.

"You didn’t personally select these instructors, correct?” he was asked. Trump responded: “No.” Asked again by counsel "That’s correct?” He responded: "That is correct.”

In another deposition, this January, Trump gave another answer regarding the hiring. "I see resumes, but mostly that was up to Michael Sexton, who was the president who ran Trump University."

ABC News sent the Trump Campaign and the Trump Organization a list of questions on Wednesday asking again about the hiring of these instructors and if Trump was involved at all. Trump University has repeatedly denied all allegations of fraud.

"The Court’s order unsealing documents has no bearing on the merits of Trump University’s case. Much of the unsealed evidence, including declarations and surveys from former Trump University students, demonstrates the high level of satisfaction from students and that Trump University taught valuable real estate information. Trump University’s sales tactics are commonplace – no different than other companies in the industry. Trump University looks forward to using this evidence, along with much more, to win when the case is brought before a jury,” the Trump Organization told ABC in a statement Wednesday.

On “Good Morning America” Thursday, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who is leading one of the three pending cases against Trump University called it “a fraud from beginning to end.”

“We have laws against running an illegal, unlicensed university. This never was a university. The fraud started with the name of the organization,” he said.

But that discrepancy isn’t the only one; Trump’s comments in the public arena, on several occasions, differ from what he said under oath.

Trump has boasted that he has “one of the all-time great memories” both in interviews and statements, telling the Hollywood Reporter just last week, "“I have one of the great memories of all time.”

In a promotional video for Trump University, Trump himself said of the University’s instructors: “We are going to have the best of the best…and these people that are handpicked by me."

However, during the December deposition, he repeatedly said he could not remember details about hiring decisions. When asked if he could remember a single instructor, Trump responded, "You'd have to give me a list.· You'd have to show me the list.· I actually went – I would go and just walk in and just stand in the back of the room on occasion just to see how they were doing, but it's been so many years, I wouldn't be able to do that.”

And then, when given the name “Johnny Harris” and asked if the person is a student, instructor or neither, Trump responded, “Too many years”. He added, when given three other names, "It sounds very familiar.· Names -- the names sound familiar, just too many years.”

A point on which he has been consistent: Both in interviews and on television, Trump maintained that he never wanted to settle the case.

"I actually thought that people were very happy at the school. I was very surprised. That’s why I didn't settle this case, which I could have settled very easily a long time ago,” he said during the deposition.

And in the 2013 interview with Stephanopoulos, Trump said, "I could have settled this very easily with them. They wanted to settle it. I didn't want, I…No, I don't wanna settle this at all."

However Schneiderman, speaking on MSNBC Thursday morning, disputed that Trump’s legal team never offered to settle.

“He did offer to settle," he said. “ He settles cases all the time."