Fact Checker: Let's set the facts straight about the Trump University judge

Let’s set the facts straight about the Trump University judge Donald Trump has been blasting the presiding judge over fraud lawsuits against Trump University. So we spent some time this week setting facts straight on some of the core claims being made about Judge Gonzalo Curiel. Trump said there’s an “inherent conflict of interest” between Curiel’s Mexican heritage and …   The truth behind the rhetoric   Let’s set the facts straight about the Trump University judge Donald Trump has been blasting the presiding judge over fraud lawsuits against Trump University. So we spent some time this week setting facts straight on some of the core claims being made about Judge Gonzalo Curiel. Trump said there’s an “inherent conflict of interest” between Curiel’s Mexican heritage and Trump's plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. (Curiel was born in Indiana to Mexican immigrant parents.) Trump has repeatedly said that because Curiel didn’t dismiss the Trump University lawsuits on a legal procedure called summary judgment, it shows Curiel is biased and unfair against Trump. But the judge was just doing his job, and had no choice but to let the case go to a full jury trial. If everyone agrees on the basic facts of a legal claim, then the judge can grant summary judgment and prevent it from going to a jury trial. In this case, Curiel found the two sides disagree on facts, and that the jury needs to decide who has a stronger case. For example, the students allege Trump misrepresented the Trump University real estate program. Trump says he never personally misrepresented his program. Ta-da: Disagreement on facts. We awarded Four Pinocchios. Enjoy this newsletter? Forward it to someone else who'd like it! If this e-mail was forwarded to you, sign up here for the weekly newsletter. Hear something fact-checkable? Send it here, we’ll check it out. Fact-checkers’ Trifecta! One more point on Curiel’s record. Curiel doesn’t belong to a “radical” pro-immigrant or pro-Mexican group, as Trump and his supporters claim by pointing to Curiel’s membership in the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, a local Bar association for Latino lawyers. It kind of sounds like the National Council of La Raza, a pro-immigrant group. (“La raza” is a term referring to the Latino community, and is commonly used for names of Latino groups and businesses.) We gave Four Pinocchios to this claim — which also received the Fact-checkers’ Trifecta, when the three major fact-checking organizations debunk a claim. PolitiFact gave a “Mostly False” rating to Trump’s claim that Curiel belongs to a pro-Mexican group, and FactCheck.org found it was not accurate. ADVERTISEMENT   Curiel is also a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association, which is a national bar association for Latino lawyers and supports comprehensive immigration reform. The Hispanic National Bar Association told us that its legislative efforts are one component of a largely professional development organization, and that Curiel has not been involved in its advocacy decisions or efforts. New this week: Fact Checker videos and Quora Q&A We have two new Fact Checker videos of Trump’s Four Pinocchios that launched today, produced by Washington Post’s video editor Jenny Starrs. In one video, we explain the facts of five of Trump’s biggest Four Pinocchio claims. In another, we examine one of Trump’s favorite Four Pinocchio claims that he opposed the Iraq War ahead of the invasion in 2003 — and just how far-reaching this false claim has been the past nine months. Check them out and send us any feedback and suggestions for other Fact Checker videos. If you’re on Quora, check out the Q&A session we did this week on our fact-checks of Trump and Hillary Clinton — specifically over immigration and gun control. Help us find ads, statements, speeches, quotes and figures that don’t quite pass muster. Send your fact-check suggestions: fill out this form, e-mail us or tweet us at @myhlee, @GlennKesslerWP or using #FactCheckThis. Read about our rating scale here, and sign up here for our weekly Fact Checker newsletter.  Scroll down for this week’s Pinocchio round-up. — Michelle Ye Hee Lee    Indiana AG touts a debunked and rejected ‘fact’ on sex trafficking A billboard campaign for the Indy 500 touts a "fact" that The Fact Checker debunked in 2015. By Glenn Kessler  •  Read more »   Trump supporters’ false claim that Trump U judge is a member of a pro-immigrant group It's been thoroughly debunked, and it's time to drop this false claim. By Michelle Ye Hee Lee  •  Read more »   Sorry, Donald Trump, the Trump University judge was just following the law Trump earns Four Pinocchios for blaming Judge Gonzalo Curiel's decision on whether to resolve the Trump University lawsuit on summary judgment. By Michelle Ye Hee Lee  •  Read more »   Trump’s claim that Elizabeth Warren made a ‘quick killing’ in foreclosures Trump claims that the Massachusetts senator is a hypocrite because she also engaged in real estate speculation. We check the records. By Glenn Kessler  •  Read more »   Gary Johnson’s claim that states operate at a deficit because of federal education requirements The Libertarian presidential nominee makes a sweeping claim about federal education requirements with no real data to back it up. By Michelle Ye Hee Lee  •  Read more »   Fact Checker video: Donald Trump’s far-reaching but false claim about the Iraq War Fact Checker video takes a look at just how far-reaching this claim has been the past nine months Trump repeated it. By Michelle Ye Hee Lee  •  Read more »   Fact Checker video: Donald Trump’s most outrageous Four-Pinocchio claims Donald Trump has made quite a few false statements during his rise to the top of the Republican field. This Fact Checker video takes a look at Trump's five biggest whoppers. By Michelle Ye Hee Lee  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   The Daily Trail An evening rundown of what's happening on the campaign trail. Sign Up »         Share Fact Checker:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Fact Checker. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071