- The Washington Times - Monday, April 9, 2018

A federal judge on Monday finalized a $25 million settlement in the consumer fraud case brought by New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman against Trump University.

The order from District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel comes five years after Mr. Schneiderman sued Mr. Trump over claims that the university had swindled its students.

The university, which was not licensed, closed in 2010. Mr. Trump questioned at one point whether Judge Curiel could be impartial due to his Mexican heritage.

Mr. Trump faced two lawsuits in California and one in New York over the university; the complaints were merged into one class-action suit after he was elected in 2016.

The president paid the $25 million in January 2017, but the money was held in escrow until the courts upheld the settlement. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld the settlement in February.

Mr. Schneiderman said Judge Curiel’s settlement order “means that victims of Donald Trump’s fraudulent university will finally receive the relief they deserve.”

“We are particularly pleased that the final settlement we negotiated with class counsel ensures that members of the class will receive an even higher settlement than anyone originally anticipated,” Mr. Schneiderman said in a statement. “This settlement marked a stunning reversal by President Trump, who for years refused to compensate the victims of his sham university.”

• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.

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