DIRKSEN FEDERAL COURT BUILDING — On his way out of Chicago's federal courthouse Wednesday afternoon, Donald Trump stopped in front of a bank of TV new cameras to bash an 87-year-old woman suing him in a real estate deal gone bad.
"Nobody's played the age card better than her," Trump said, accusing the woman of trying to rip him off. "She's got a lot of money; she made a lot of money. She knows everything that's going on, and it just disgraceful."
Questioning of Trump Wednesday at the Dirksen Federal Court Building focused on the real estate tycoon's involvement in the decisions regarding the common areas of the 92-story Trump International Hotel & Tower at Wabash Avenue and the Chicago River.
Shelly Kulwin, attorney for an 87-year-old condo buyer who claims in a lawsuit she was swindled when she bought two condos in the tower, repeatedly grilled Trump — the star of "Celebrity Apprentice" on NBC — regarding whether he attended meetings, discussed developments or made calls regarding the sale of condominiums.
Kulwin's client, Jacqueline Goldberg, claims that profit-sharing from revenue generated by the hotel-condominium's grand ballroom, among other "common elements" in Trump's development, was originally part of the deal that got her to invest.
Goldberg put about $500,000 down as a deposit only to have executives renege, but when she tried to walk away from the deal, they kept her deposit, Kulwin charged.
Tempers flared Wednesday morning when Trump took the witness stand for a second day.
To a battery of questions on his involvement in the project, Trump responded; "I don't recall," or "I just don't remember."
But Kulwin continued to ask about Trump's involvement in marketing and sales efforts and decisions to remove the ballroom, and other facilities, from the common areas.
"Sir, it is true you don't remember any meetings ... on this topic?" Kulwin asked at one point.
The exchanges became so heated that U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve ordered a break in testimony to get both sides to cool down.
"You've been dancing around and boxing with each other," St. Eves said after about two hours of questioning. "I know you two like sparring. ... You've got to stop. Let's get control of ourselves."
If Trump held back on the witness stand, he eagerly spoke to reporters in the lobby of the courthouse while the case continued upstairs.
"She owes me $500,000, which nobody talks about," said Trump, claiming that Goldberg rakes in $7,000 per month by renting the residential condo she owns at Trump Tower. "She is using the ballroom as a ruse to get her money back. This is a disgrace, and frankly we just don't put up with it."
