Media joins forces and asks court to unseal Trump's video depositions in university fraud case

The most powerful media companies in the U.S. have joined forces in a lawsuit asking a California court to release videotaped depositions given by Donald Trump taken as part of a fraud lawsuit related to his failed Trump University.

According to LawNewz, CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, The Washington Post and The New York Times filed suit late Friday, requesting access to the videos of Trump speaking under oath which were recorded between December 10 and January 21.

“There is substantial public interest in this litigation given the subject  matter of the case and Defendant’s status as the presumptive Republican presidential,” attorneys wrote in their filing.

Trump is being sued by former students of Trump University who claim there were defrauded by the school, in a case that is being overseen by Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who Trump has disparaged over his "Mexican heritage."

According to attorneys suing for access to the tapes, they are important because the businessman was testifying under oath under penalty of perjury.

“Given the undeniable and substantial public interest in these proceedings, the need for transparency could not be greater,” the filing stated, “The strong public interest in this case, which involves serious, allegations of fraud that have become a prominent issue in the 2016 presidential campaign, weighs in favor of public disclosure of materials produced in the course of the litigation.”

According to Lawnewz, complete transcripts and videotapes of Trump are being withheld from the public eye under a protective order.