[2][6][7][8][9] It is alleged that the defendants promoted the multi-level marketing company ACN Inc. in exchange for millions of dollars in secret payments from 2005 to 2015.
[10] The lawsuit says that Trump "told investors that he had 'experienced the opportunity' and 'done a lot of research,' and that his endorsement was 'not for any money.
'"[11] However, it subsequently emerged that Trump was a paid spokesman for at least one of the companies whose products and services he was promoting to investors.
The plaintiffs' lawyer has repeatedly argued that the case was not based on the ACN contract, but on the Trumps' fraud.
On 29 October 2018, four anonymous plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in the District Court for Southern District of New York alleging racketeering by the defendants and of fraudulently encouraging unsophisticated investors to give large amounts of money to organizations connected to the Trumps.
[20] On 14 January 2019, the Trump defendants sought to have charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act dropped from the lawsuit.
[36] On 1 December, the Second Circuit Court, comprising Judges Raymond J. Lohier, Jr., Denny Chin and Robert D. Sack, heard oral argument on the merits.