Updated, August 26th, 12:35 p.m.
Donald Trump, who spent five years claiming Barack Obama was not a natural-born U.S. citizen, said Sunday that an investigation into Trump University by the New York attorney general was somehow targeted by the president.
Wow, l just found out that A.G. Schneiderman met with President Obama in Syracuse on Thursday --- and sued me on Saturday! Same as IRS etc.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2013
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Saturday filed a lawsuit against Trump's for-profit Trump University, accusing the organization of pulling a "bait-and-switch" on students. The lawsuit alleges that Trump falsely advertised that the school's real estate investment instructors had been handpicked by Trump himself. Students paid between $1,495 for a seminar up to $35,000 for advertised personal mentorship programs with Trump, the New York Times reported.
Trump's attorneys were the first to say the lawsuit was politically motivated, alleging that Schneiderman acted out of spite for not receiving campaign contributions from the businessman, the Times reported.
The state is seeking $40 million in damages in the suit.
"This is just a political hack that wants to get publicity," Trump said in a phone interview on Monday's Morning Joe. "How better can he get publicity than to sue Donald Trump?"
"He filed the suit on Saturday…He meets with the president in Syracuse on Thursday in the evening. I'm sure it's just a coincidence--maybe it's a mini IRS," he said referring to the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative nonprofits.