Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's now-defunct Trump University real estate seminar program is currently facing multiple lawsuits, leading to a series of attacks from Trump's rival, Sen. Marco Rubio. MSNBC's Chris Hayes pointed out that Rubio “may not be the best spokesman” for attacks on Trump University, however, since Rubio has taken donations from and defended Corinthian Colleges, a shuttered chain of for-profit schools currently facing legal actions for defrauding students.
The Trump University venture, which The New York Times described as “not a real university at all but a series of seminars held in hotels across the country,” is currently facing multiple pending lawsuits brought by former students and the state of New York alleging misrepresentation. At the February 25 CNN Republican presidential debate, Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) both attacked Trump about the pending lawsuits against his "fake university," and Rubio has since continued to highlight the Trump University controversy on the campaign trail. Although fact-checkers have agreed that Trump's defenses of his failed real estate institute are “misleading” and “false,” Hayes pointed out that Rubio's relationship with the now-defunct for-profit chain Corinthian Colleges, found by a federal judge to have “engaged in deceptive practices,” compromises his ability to credibly criticize Trump University.
From the February 29 edition of MSNBC's All In with Chris Hayes:
CHRIS HAYES (HOST): Trump University certainly seems to have had some extremely shady practices, as we've reported before on the show -- even when the story broke a few years ago. But, here's the thing: Marco Rubio may not be the best spokesman for the cause. The presidential hopeful is connected with perhaps the most notorious for-profit school system in the country, Corinthian Colleges, which went bankrupt last year after being fined $30 million and sued by the federal government for misrepresenting job placement numbers to boost enrollment. Last June, the Education Department announced it would forgive federal loans for tens of thousands of students duped into attending Corinthian schools. Though we should note advocates for students say the process is so onerous it's leaving many behind.
Now, not only has Rubio advocated for what he calls alternative education -- including as a presidential candidate -- but, according to Bloomberg, he's benefited from over $27,000 in donations from Corinthian Colleges over the past five years. Rubio even stood up for the company when the feds began investigating its marketing practices in 2014. Bloomberg reports he wrote a letter to Education Department officials, asking them to 'demonstrate leniency' and keep federal aid dollars flowing during the investigation. According to the department, since 2010, Corinthian enrolled around 350,000 students who took out financial aid loans worth up to $3.5 billion. In a statement to Bloomberg, a spokesperson for Rubio said, 'Senator Rubio felt it was important to protect the thousands of students in Florida from being punished and having their educations disrupted while the investigation was underway.' Not sure those students holding thousands of dollars in debt for a worthless degree would see it the same way.
Previously:
Fact-Checkers Flunk Trump's Defenses Of Trump U.
The Wall Street Journal Praises For-Profit Colleges That Prey On Veterans