HARTFORD – A congresswoman is calling for President Donald Trump to remove the woman he reportedly appointed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) amid controversy over her qualifications, including her education at Quinnipiac University.
Trump chose Lynne Patton, who planned his son’s wedding, to lead the HUD office that oversees federal housing in the New York and New Jersey region, the New York Daily News reported.
Patton claims on her LinkedIn page to have earned a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from Quinnipiac University, but the school confirms that she only attended classes for six months and did not graduate.
“She did not receive a Juris Doctor degree from our law school,” Quinnipiac spokesman John Morgan told FOX 61. “Her dates of attendance were 1/10/2000 – 07/28/2000.”
Next to the “J.D.” on Patton’s LinkedIn page, “(N/A)” is listed, but it does not clarify that she did not earn the degree. It appears she addressed this controversy on her twitter account saying, “Or conversely ‘When did you finish law school’ but you know you never did, you could answer N/A because it doesn’t apply to you #NeverLied” along with a definition of “not applicable.”
Rep. Grace Meng (D-New York) sent a letter to the president, “asking he remove his completely unqualified appointment to oversee federal housing programs in New York and New Jersey.”
There are also questions over Patton’s qualifications for the position based on her past experience, which appears to not include any work on housing matters. She began working for The Trump Organization in May 2009, and then served as the vice president for the Eric Trump Foundation, according to her LinkedIn Page. Patton was a senior adviser to Trump’s presidential campaign and then a senior adviser and director of public engagement at HUD in Washington, according to her page. She also reportedly helped organize Eric Trump’s wedding.
Despite the reports that she was appointed to lead the NY/NJ HUD office, a spokesman for HUD, Jereon Brown, said the position remains open and there has not been a nomination or appointment.
“I can’t disclose more about it because I’m not familiar with the process,” Brown said.
Patton offered a heartfelt video testimonial to the Trump family during the Republican National Convention in 2016.
She also spoke at the convention, insisting: “I know Mr. Trump. I know his heart and I know his passion for this country to be true.” As for Trump’s children, Patton said: “I love you like the siblings I never had… you are my heroes.”
