# Does Trump face criminal penalties for Trump University **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 12, 2016, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-face-criminal-penalties-for-trump-university/768330 "2016-10-12T14:05:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-face-criminal-penalties-for-trump-university/768330/1 "2016-10-12T14:05:22Z")
I cannot figure out if there are potential criminal penalties for Trump University or if it is a civil lawsuit. I’ve heard RICO mentioned several times, but I thought it was a civil suit. How much could Trump lose in the civil suit, and are there criminal charges too? ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-face-criminal-penalties-for-trump-university/768330/2 "2016-10-12T14:15:55Z")
Currently it’s a civil suit. RICO is always mentioned with various peccadillos with various people, but I assume (IANAL) that proving it was deliberately criminal and repetitive is the catch. Offering an expensive but crappy education is not criminal. (It just should be…) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-face-criminal-penalties-for-trump-university/768330/3 "2016-10-12T14:47:28Z")
RICO has both civil and criminal elements. At least one of the civil suits against Trump U alleges civil violations of RICO and seeks damages for their alleged fraud scheme. There are no criminal cases against Trump U right now AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-face-criminal-penalties-for-trump-university/768330/4 "2016-10-13T04:33:49Z")
Criminal fraud is much, much harder to prove than civil fraud. There would have to be absolutely undeniable evidence available for them to try a criminal fraud case. Most white-collar folks know not to make things so obviously in bad faith, and have a flimsy cover story good enough for reasonable doubt to creep in, but not good enough to avoid losing civil litigation.