Trump Organization Settles Lawsuit With Protesters Alleging Assault—Here’s Where Other Cases Involving Ex-President’s Business Stand

Topline

Former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization settled a lawsuit Wednesday with protesters who alleged security guards at Trump Tower assaulted them in 2015, attorneys in the case said, though a number of lawsuits involving Trump and his company are still ongoing.

Mexican protesters protest outside Trump Tower on September 16, 2015, in New York City.

LightRocket via Getty Images

Key Facts

Attorneys in the Trump Tower case did not disclose the terms of the settlement, which was signed on the third day of jury selection as the civil case went to trial in New York state court, but plaintiffs’ attorney Ben Dictor said in a statement the “matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties,” multiple outlets report.

Protesters who demonstrated in 2015 against Trump’s attacks on Mexican immigrants sued Trump, his business and campaign, alleging Trump’s head of security Keith Schiller struck protester Efrain Galicia in the head as the two struggled over Schiller trying to take away a sign that read “Trump: Make America Racist Again.”

The case went to trial the same week as the Manhattan district attorney’s criminal case against the Trump Organization for alleged tax fraud, as prosecutors allege the company paid executives through gifts and other “off the books” compensation to get out of paying taxes on that income (the case does not directly implicate Trump).

A separate civil lawsuit is pending in New York Supreme Court from New York Attorney General Letitia James, which accuses Trump and his business, family members and associates of fraudulently inflating the stated value of their assets for financial gain.

As that lawsuit moves forward, James has asked the court to order an independent monitor to oversee the company’s activities and prohibit the Trump Organization from transferring assets or submitting financial statements that don’t “adequately disclose” how they were valued.

Trump, his children and his company are also facing a class action lawsuit filed in 2018 alleging they promoted the scam multi-level marketing company ACN—which the New York Times reported paid Trump $8.8 million over the course of 10 years—a case that seeks monetary damages and accuses the Trumps of racketeering, unfair competition, deceptive trade practices, negligent misrepresentation and dissemination of untrue and misleading business statements.

Attorneys told the court in early October that discovery in the case has been completed ahead of a trial, and Trump was slated to have been deposed in the case by October 31 (attorneys will file a report by Friday informing the court if that has taken place).

Key Background

The Trump Tower protesters, who described themselves as “human rights activists of Mexican origin,” first filed their lawsuit in September 2015, soon after the encounter with Trump’s security chief Keith Schiller took place. The lawsuit accuses Schiller of hitting Galicia “with a closed fist on the head with such force that it caused Galicia to stumble backwards” and sought monetary damages along with an injunction that would bar security from interfering with the advocates’ protesting. Trump was deposed in the case after leaving office, in which a transcript shows he called the protesters “troublemakers” and alleged he was unaware of the protests at the time, also arguing that Schiller “did nothing wrong.” Though Trump did not directly engage with the protesters, the plaintiffs alleged the then-candidate should have known the security guard would have behaved in a “negligent or reckless manner,” the Associated Press reports, and attorneys sought to depose Trump to see if he was at all responsible for Schiller’s conduct.

Crucial Quote

“The parties all agree that the plaintiffs in the action, and all people, have a right to engage in peaceful protest on public sidewalks,” attorneys from both sides of the protesters’ case said in a joint statement Wednesday.

What To Watch For

The Manhattan District Attorney’s criminal trial against the Trump Organization is now on hold until next week, after the Trump Organization’s controller Jeffrey McConney, a witness in the case, tested positive for Covid-19. Opening arguments in the trial first got underway on Monday, and the trial is expected to last five to six weeks in total, New York State Judge Juan Merchan said ahead of jury selection. The Trump Organization faces up to $1.6 million in fines if convicted in that case, and legal experts note it could also make creditors and business partners less likely to work with them. Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg has already pleaded guilty in the case and will serve up to 15 months in prison. The Trump Organization and Trump family face the threat of harsher punishments in James’ civil lawsuit, which asks the court for such relief as having the company’s business certificates canceled in New York, Trump and his children being barred from leading New York businesses and a $250 million fine. James said she has also referred evidence of alleged criminal activity to the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service for further investigation.

Chief Critic

Trump and the Trump Organization have broadly denied wrongdoing in the cases against them, denouncing James’ lawsuit as a politically motivated attack and arguing in the company’s Manhattan criminal trial that Weisselberg acted alone and the company should not be held liable for his actions. Trump also described the protesters’ lawsuit against him as “just one more example of baseless harassment of your favorite President” after he was deposed in the case in October 2021. The Trumps and their business allege in the ACN case that the plaintiffs did not adequately make their claims and the court does not have jurisdiction to hear the case.

Surprising Fact

Trump was supposed to be deposed in the ACN case on September 30, but it was ultimately delayed because Hurricane Ian struck Florida, where Trump was located at the time and where the deposition was scheduled to take place. The attorneys representing the plaintiffs told the court they did not feel it was safe to travel to the state, but Trump’s attorneys traveled to Florida for the deposition ahead of the hurricane and were unwilling to move the location despite the impending storm.

Tangent

Trump faces numerous other lawsuits and investigations on top of those that target his business. The ex-president’s other legal issues include two investigations from the Justice Department into his handling of White House documents and efforts to overturn the election; an investigation in Fulton County, Georgia, into his attempts to overturn that state’s election; a defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of rape; and multiple lawsuits from lawmakers and police offers seeking to hold him liable for the January 6 attack.