SAN DIEGO —Donald Trump’s attorneys filed a motion to delay until after the presidential inauguration a class-action fraud lawsuit involving the president-elect and his now-defunct Trump University.
In the motion filed Saturday evening in San Diego federal court, Trump’s lawyer Daniel Petrocelli argues that the extra months would give both sides time to possibly reach a settlement.
Petrocelli lays out a detailed plan that would postpone the trial until sometime soon after the Jan. 20 inauguration to allow the president-elect to focus his time and energy on the transition to the White House, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The lawsuit alleging Trump University failed on its promise to teach success in real estate is scheduled to begin Nov. 28.
The motion also requests that Trump be excused from having to testify live or in person. Instead, his lawyers argue he should be allowed to be questioned by both sides in a videotaped deposition for trial purposes either shortly before Jan. 20 —when his transition duties would be nearly complete – or at a later time. That video would then be played at trial.
Petrocelli asks that the specific date and location of the recording would be kept secret, until trial, the newspaper said.
In addition, the video testimony would be used not only in this case, but in a similar Trump University lawsuit also in San Diego that is not as close to trial — ensuring Trump won’t have to testify twice.
