WASHINGTON — Donald Trump says he hand-picked only the best to teach success at Trump University.
But an Associated Press investigation has found dozens of those hired by the company had checkered pasts _ including convictions for cocaine trafficking and child molestation.
AP ran background checks on 68 people listed as speakers and staff for the Republican presidential nominee’s namesake real-estate seminars. Half had bankruptcies, foreclosures, tax liens or other indicators of significant money troubles prior to teaching Trump University courses.
Four are convicted felons. They include Ron Broussard, a former Army sergeant court-martialled in 1994 for sodomy and indecent acts with an 8-year-old girl.
Company lawyer Jill Martin said only a minuscule number of Trump University’s staff were criminals and that surveys showed students were overwhelmingly satisfied with the seminars.