NY Times: Trump Institute plagiarized lessons and used deceptive tactics like Trump U
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Trump had a venture similar to Trump University called the Trump Institute, that is accused of the same kind of deceptive practices as his “university.” Only the accusations against the institute include plagiarism.
As with Trump University, the Trump Institute promised falsely that its teachers would be handpicked by Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump did little, interviews show, besides appear in an infomercial — one that promised customers access to his vast accumulated knowledge. “I put all of my concepts that have worked so well for me, new and old, into our seminar,” he said in the 2005 video, adding, “I’m teaching what I’ve learned.”
Yet while he owned 93 percent of Trump University, the Trump Institute was owned and operated by Irene and Mike Milin, a couple who had been marketing get-rich-quick courses since the 1980s…
At least 20 pages of the Trump Institute book were copied entirely or in large part from “Real Estate Mastery System.” Even some of its hypothetical scenarios — “Seller A is asking $80,000 for a single-family residence” — were repeated verbatim.
Asked about the plagiarism, which was discovered by the Democratic “super PAC” American Bridge, the editor of the Trump Institute publication, Susan G. Parker, denied responsibility and suggested that a lawyer for the Milins, who provided her with background material for the book, might have been to blame. The lawyer, Peter Hoppenfeld, who no longer represents the Milins, said Ms. Parker was likely at fault but acknowledged forwarding her information from the Milins’ office. Reached at her home in Boca Raton, Fla., Irene Milin told a reporter, “I’m very busy,” and hung up. She did not answer subsequent calls or respond to a voice mail message.
[Trump attorney Alan] Garten said Mr. Trump was “obviously” not aware of the plagiarism. But even while playing down Mr. Trump’s link to the Trump Institute, calling it a “short-term licensing deal,” Mr. Garten expressed pride in the venture. “I stand by the curriculum that was taught at both Trump University and Trump Institute,” he said.
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