So, to recap, Hillary provides a paid speech, and

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So, to recap, Hillary provides a paid speech, and that makes her beholden forever to that company's wishes. Trump pays off officials who are currently, or were previously, looking into charges against him, and it's "nothing to see here folks."

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Ex-Texas Official Says He Was Ordered To Drop Trump U Probe Due To Politics


AP Photo / Bebeto Matthews

ByMICHAEL BIESECKERP

PublishedJune 4, 2016, 9:42 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton moved Friday to muzzle a former state regulator who says he was ordered in 2010 to drop a fraud investigation into Trump University for political reasons.

Paxton's office issued a cease and desist letter to former Deputy Chief of Consumer Protection John Owens after he made public copies of a 14-page internal summary of the state's case against Donald Trump for scamming millions from students of his now-defunct real estate seminar.

Owens, now retired, said his team had built a solid case against the now-presumptive Republican presidential nominee, but was told to drop it after Trump's company agreed to cease operations in Texas.

The former state regulator told The Associated Press on Friday that decision was highly unusual and left the bilked students on their own to attempt to recover their tuition money from the celebrity businessman.

According to the documents provided by Owens, his team sought to sue Trump, his company and several business associates to help recover more than $2.6 million students spent on seminars and materials, plus another $2.8 million in penalties and fees.

Owens said he was so surprised at the order to stand down he made a copy of the case file and took it home.

"It had to be political in my mind because Donald Trump was treated differently than any other similarly situated scam artist in the 16 years I was at the consumer protection office," said Owens, who lives in Houston.

Owens' boss at the time was then-Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is now the state's GOP governor.

The Associated Press first reported Thursday that Trump gave donations totaling $35,000 to Abbott's gubernatorial campaign three years after his office closed the Trump U case. Several Texas media outlets then reported Owens' accusation that the probe was dropped for political reasons.

Abbott spokesman Matt Hirsch said Friday that the governor had played no role in ending the case against Trump, a decision he said was made farther down the chain of command.

"The Texas Attorney General's office investigated Trump U, and its demands were met — Trump U was forced out of Texas and consumers were protected," Hirsch said. "It's absurd to suggest any connection between a case that has been closed and a donation to Governor Abbott three years later."

Paxton issued a media release about the cease and desist later Friday, saying Owens had divulged "confidential and privileged information."

Owens first learned about the state's action against him on Friday afternoon when contacted by the AP for response.

"I have done nothing illegal or unethical," said Owens, a lawyer. "I think the information I provided to the press was important and needed to be shared with the public."

Paxton faces his own legal trouble. He was indicted last year on three felony fraud charges alleging that he persuaded people to invest in a North Texas tech startup while failing to disclose that he hadn't invested himself but was being paid by the company in stock.

Paxton has remained in office while appealing the charges.

Texas was not the only GOP-led state to shy away from suing Trump.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi briefly considered joining a multi-state suit against Trump U. Three days after Bondi's spokeswoman was quoted in local media reports as saying her office was investigating, Trump's family foundation made a $25,000 contribution to a political fundraising committee supporting Bondi's re-election campaign.

Bondi, a Republican, soon dropped her investigation, citing insufficient grounds to proceed.

In New York, meanwhile, Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sued Trump over what he called a "straight-up fraud." That case, along with several class-action lawsuits filed by former Trump students, is still ongoing.

Trump, for his part, is standing by his namesake real estate seminars, saying he plans to resurrect Trump University if elected president.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/texas-regul...r-politics

corncaucus2008
Wow this sure does seem to at least suggest quid pro quo in two different states. Isn't one of the pillars of his campaign that politicians can be bought, and he knows 'cause he bought 'em?

So, to recap, Hillary provides a paid speech, and that makes her beholden forever to that company's wishes. Trump pays off officials who are currently, or were previously, looking into charges against him, and it's "nothing to see here folks."

pluckyinky
This is really pretty damn funny. Imagine if these states had pursued those fraud charges against Trump. It might've been enough to shame him away from running for president. Instead of potentially facing historic losses in November and losing SCOTUS for a generation, they could've been looking at a win or narrow loss. They did this to themselves. Again.

chammy
DRIP, DRIP, DRIP.
I think this Trump U story is just the beginning, which IMO will lead to a lot of other "stuff" about this fraud and will be his undoing. He is going to come unglued like he did at the press conference with members of the press and after HRC shoved in the first knife in her speech the other day.

The GOP already know their goose is cooked and are trying to put a good face on it with their but Hillary is worse meme. There are many in military who are scared to death of this man being President.

Honestly I have never believed he'd ever win the Presidency and this is icing on the cake. I know to his die hard supporters it won't make a difference but it will to the majority of the electorate.

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