Lawyers for Donald Trump have accused representatives of those suing him over the real estate program at Trump University of trying to schedule hearings on the class-action lawsuit during the summer to impede his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
In seeking to hold the trial before or after the Republican National Convention in July, Trump's attorneys are trying to keep the front-runner from being pulled from the campaign,
Politico reports.
"Plaintiffs' request to set a trial date in June or August of this year ... is a transparent attempt to prejudice defendants' ability to defend this case at trial while Mr. Trump is running for president," attorney Dan Petrocelli wrote in Friday's filing in U.S. District Court in San Diego. "It also conflicts with plaintiffs' acknowledgment to this court that it would be 'foolish' to think a fair jury could be selected in the middle of the current presidential campaign."
The businessman has come under fire for the Trump University lawsuit, with former rival Marco Rubio citing the action in slamming Trump as a "con man" during the Republican debates.
The Florida senator dropped out of the race Tuesday after losing his state's primary to Trump.
Petrocelli said last week that it "will be a zoo if it goes to trial" in August, Politico reports.