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The FBI just released almost 400 pages related to Trump's housing discrimination allegations

Feb 16, 2017, 10:07 IST

In this Nov. 18, 1985 file photo, real estate mogul Donald Trump displays an artist's concept of &quotTelevision City," which would be on the far west side of Manhattan, N.Y. Trump once claimed to be publicity shy, no joke. It's right there in The New York Times of Nov. 1, 1976. In the same article, the 30-year-old real estate developer talks up his millions, showcases his penthouse apartment and Cadillac, and allows a reporter to tag along as he visits job sites and lunches at the Marty Lederhandler/AP

The FBI made available 389 pages from a 1970s investigation of racial discrimination accusations against Trump Management Company, a real-estate business linked to President Donald Trump at the time.

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A civil-rights lawsuit brought by the Justice Department against Donald Trump and his father Fred Trump in 1973 claimed that African-Americans and Puerto Ricans were prevented from renting apartments from Trump.

The heavily redacted records of dozens of tenants and employees of Trump Management Company provided an overwhelming amount of information on the matter, however, one statement from a rental supervisor stood out:

He also gave this account after a colleague received a black couple's application:

In a separate report from The Washington Post, the government alleged that Trump employees marked minority applicants with codes, such as "No. 9" or "C" for "colored."

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A man removes letters from the awning of a building formerly known as Trump Place in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016. Donald Trump's name is being stripped off three luxury apartment buildings after hundreds of tenants signed a petition saying they were embarrassed to live in a place associated with the Republican president-elect.Seth Wenig/AP

Another interview from a former doorman of a Trump building in Brooklyn provided the following account:

Although some of the allegations were damning, the majority of those interviewed in the investigation said they were unaware of discrimination, according to Politico.

Trump eventually filed a $100 million countersuit, accusing the government of defamation, alleging that they were saying "such outrageous lies." Trump said that although the company wanted to avoid renting to welfare applicants, he'd never discriminated based on race.

In 1975, Trump agreed to a consent decree, whereby no admission of wrongdoing would be given, however, his management company was ordered to take out ads telling ethnic minorities that they were welcome to seek housing at Trump properties.

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