Donald Trump faces fraud court battle after claims his ex-Trump University students were ‘duped’ into £28,000 seminars

BEFORE being sworn in as President, Donald Trump is due in court to defend himself from allegations of fraud in a civil trial.

He will take the witness stand later this month against ex-Trump University students who say they were duped into paying £28,000 for largely useless property seminars.

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The trial will be overseen by judge Gonzalo Curiel, who the President-elect raged against for being biased because of his Mexican heritage.

His remarks were widely condemned by both Democrats and Republicans, with House Speaker Paul Ryan commenting: "it is the textbook definition of a racist comment."

Trump's lawyer, Daniel Petrocelli, signalled he may try to delay the trial further, reported.

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However, Curiel defied his latest effort and seems intent on going through with it before the inauguration. The trial has been pending for six years and some of the plaintiffs are now elderly.

Lawyers pressing the case on behalf of former students say the programme fraudulently advertised that instructors were hand-picked by Trump and that students would learn the real estate mogul's "secrets."

Even calling the programme a "university" was a fraud, they contested.

However, Trump's lawyers referred to it as marketing "puffery", not intended to be taken seriously.

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The State of New York is also probing the Trump Foundation, saying it was soliciting donations without proper authorisation.

Last month, the attorney general's office ordered the Foundation to cease funding after finding the charity in violation of New York law.

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According to a letter from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, the bureau has been withholding "explosive information" linking Trump and his top advisers to the Russian government.

Trump and his various business have been entangled in more than 4,000 lawsuits in his three-decade real-estate career, a found.

The President-elect could also be embroiled in lawsuits where he is the plaintiff.

He has threatened to sue the dozen-plus women who have accused him of sexual assault, and has taunted multiple media organisations with promises of legal action.

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