On the recordJune 9, 2016
It is utterly disappointing that Donald J. Trump chose to use the court of public opinion in his attempt to defend against a civil fraud claim involving Trump University. Last week, Donald Trump made disparaging statements about the trial judge. He suggested that the trial judge is incapable of objectively judging the case because of his Mexican heritage. He went on to say that the judge was a hater of Donald Trump's. The footage is being played over and over on television, and many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to their credit, have found these statements to be unacceptable. In my humble opinion, Mr. Speaker, these statements rise to the level of contempt of court. They are racially based, and the litigant should be sanctioned. The Trump statements are perceived by millions of people to be race based and a discredit to the judiciary. It must be addressed. Based on my years as a lawyer and as a judge, it is clear that, if a litigant feels that the judge cannot be fair and impartial in a case, the litigant has a duty to inform his counsel. Counsel then has an obligation to file motions of recusal that set out, with particularity, the grounds for the motion. This was not done, and I suspect it was not done because no evidence of bias even exists. If the attorneys chose to make such a reckless claim, the attorneys would be subject to discipline.…
