A federal court yesterday approved a $25 million settlement with students who said that they were duped by Donald Trump and his now-defunct Trump University, which promised to teach them the "secrets of success" in the real estate industry, NBCNews.com reported. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco finalized the settlement after it was first approved by a judge last March following an appeal by Sherri Simpson, a Florida woman who said she spent roughly $19,000 on Trump University workshops. Simpson had wanted to opt out of a class action suit in order to pursue a separate suit against Trump, but the court rejected that. Students had alleged that Trump University, which was open from 2005 to 2010, used false advertising and high-pressure sales techniques to lure them to free investor workshops at which they were sold expensive seminars and told they would be mentored by real estate gurus, leading to the loss of thousands of dollars in tuition. A "one-year apprenticeship" at the educational institute cost $1,495; a "membership" over $10,000; and "Gold Elite" classes ran $35,000. Trump faced two lawsuits in California and one in New York, brought by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. They were folded into one class action suit after Trump was elected, according to court documents. Trump paid the $25 million in January of last year, but it was held in escrow until the court upheld the settlement.
