Jury Sides With Donald Trump In Condo Dispute With Woman, 87
(CBS/AP) -- A federal jury on Thursday sided with developer Donald Trump -- not the 87-year-old woman who says she was cheated financially after buying two condominiums at his Trump Tower project.
Jackie Goldberg of Evanston sought $6 million in damages from the famous figure, saying she signed a deal in 2006 to buy two condos at Trump's downtown skyscraper at $1 million each only to have developers renege on their promise of profit-sharing from ballroom and catering business.
Trump, who testified in the federal trial, says a clause in the contract made it clear the offer could be rescinded. He criticized the self-made woman for playing the "age card" and expressed the seven-year-old dispute appeared to be over.
"She should be ashamed of herself. She knew what the contract says. She is a very sophisticated person," Trump said in a phone interview with CBS 2 after the verdict went his way. "She is a rich woman and closed on the one unit that went up in value, which she never said anything about that. She should be ashamed of herself."
I loved beating these two terrible human beings. I would never recommend that anyone use her lawyer, he is a total loser!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 23, 2013
Goldberg herself showed little emotion but her attorney, Shelly Kulwin, slumped over and buried his head on a courtroom table.
The plaintiff says Trump's star power may have had an impact on the jury.
"I thought he clearly lied," she told reporters in the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. "I think I have exposed him for what he is and that people won't get trapped by him again. At least they will know that he has done this in the past."
Goldberg says she's considering an appeal.
Jurors who decided the case declined to speak to the media, through a court spokesman.
The case pitted the suburban Chicago woman against a New Yorker who revels in his image as a big talker with big ideas. Many know him best for his catchphrase on his "Apprentice" TV show: "You're fired!"
In sarcasm-filled closings, Kulwin described Trump in stark, extreme terms -- as villainous and greedy. Trump wasn't in court, but Kulwin displayed a giant photograph of Trump.
"The thought of my grandma being in the same room with that guy. Yuck!" Kulwin boomed.
The dispute centered on the glitzy Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago, one of several showcase towers Trump has named after himself elsewhere, including New York, Las Vegas and Hawaii.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
