They Are Suing Trump and Fear Retaliation. A Judge Rules They Can Stay Anonymous for Now.
By Benjamin Weiser
Dec. 20, 2018
When four people sued President Trump and the Trump Organization, accusing them of using the Trump name to entice vulnerable investors to enter sham business schemes, the plaintiffs took the highly unusual step of asking a judge for permission to proceed under pseudonyms.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs, who are listed in the lawsuit with names like Jane Doe and Richard Roe, said in court papers that their clients feared retaliation if their names became public. The lawyers cited Mr. Trump’s “history of wielding his wealth, stature and Twitter account to attack people whom he perceives to be his enemies,” including people who sue him.
On Thursday, the judge, Lorna G. Schofield of Federal District Court in Manhattan, agreed with them, ruling that the plaintiffs could keep their names concealed for now, as their lawsuit moved forward.
“The manner in which the president has used his position and platform to affect the course of pending court cases,” Judge Schofield said, “is really without precedent.”
“Whether instigated by him or by his supporters,” she added, “the harms at issue here are not hypothetical. They are real, significant and present an unwarranted obstacle to those who would seek to vindicate their rights in federal court.”
The four plaintiffs have been described in court papers as a hospice worker, a self-employed formerly homeless man, a food delivery driver and a mother of three who works at a national retail store. Each invested in ACN, a telecommunications marketing company, after watching promotional videos featuring Mr. Trump, the suit said. The company paid Mr. Trump millions to endorse its products.
The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, alleged ACN was one of several get-rich-quick schemes that Mr. Trump promoted as legitimate business opportunities “to enrich themselves by systematically defrauding economically marginalized people.”
more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/nyregion/trump-lawsuit-anonymous-acn.html
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