Democratic senators want federal regulators to warn consumers about “fraudulent institutions” such as Trump University, a move that would highlight a scandal that has dogged the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
In a letter sent out Thursday, Democrats on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee asked several federal agencies to develop a “consumer warning system” to steer students away from outfits such as Trump University.
They also detailed the history of Trump University, the Donald Trump venture that advertised itself as a real-estate training company.
Trump is in litigation with former Trump University students who have charged that the company defrauded them.
The Democrats write that Trump University students paid “between $1,500 and $35,000 to attend real estate seminars that left them little more than a worthless certificate and a pile of debt.”
They also fault the organization for advertising itself as though it were an accredited institution of higher education, which it wasn’t.
Students should be warned of such businesses, the Democrats said in the letter. They called on the Department of Education, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Veterans Affairs to work on a system to do so.
Hillary Clinton, Trump’s likely Democratic opponent, has sought to highlight Trump University to her advantage. During the primary, Trump’s Republican opponents did the same.
