Six years ago, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who was then the state's attorney general, blocked Donald Trump's Trump University from operating in the state and investigated it for claims of "deceptive trade practices."
Abbot's office, through Assistant Attorney General Rick Berlin, began the probe over Trump's now-defunct university, which was a real-estate training package, but did not award accredited degrees in January 2010, according to
American Media Institute, to determine if the organization violated Texas' Deceptive Trade Practices Consumer Protection Act.
The action from Abbott's office came two years after GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz wrapped up his term as the state's Solicitor General, a position he held from 2003 to 2008 after Abbott appointed him to the spot.
The now-governor recently endorsed Cruz's bid for the party's nomination.
In the demand, sent to Trump's corporate offices on Wall Street, Abbott's office sought out financial records; promotional and advertising material, and other items, along with the names of Texans who had bought "your workshop or mentoring program" beginning in January 2008.
Trump University, rather than producing the documents, agreed to stop doing business in Texas and later that year, ceased operations completely. There remains three active lawsuits from California and New York, however, against the organization and Trump.
Abbott's office would not comment on the investigation, spurred after Better Business Bureau offices in Texas received 30 complaints, two of which are included in the legal cases still pending.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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