Ivanka Trump Takes the Witness Stand in NY Fraud Trial

Nov 8 (Reuters) – Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump testified in a Manhattan court on Wednesday in a civil fraud trial that exposed the inner workings of the former U.S. president’s business empire and threatened to take away her prized New York. Properties.

Ivanka Trump’s appearance follows testimony from her two-year-old brothers and Trump, who is leading the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination despite a whirlwind of legal troubles. Unlike her siblings and father, she is not a defendant in the case.

While serving as a top executive at the company from 2011 to 2017, Ivanka said she focused on redeveloping the Doral golf course in Florida and an old post office property in Washington. procedures but not as an expert.

The suit by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, alleges that Trump and his family businesses manipulated real estate values ​​to defraud lenders and insurers and embellished Trump’s reputation as a successful businessman.

Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled that the conduct amounts to fraud and is now considering what penalties could be imposed.

Trump denied wrongdoing and accused James and Engoran of political bias and “election interference.” He repeated those claims on social media late Tuesday, calling it “sad!” that Ivanka is being coerced into testifying.

During confrontational and rambling testimony on Monday, Trump acknowledged that valuations for his properties were not always accurate, but said those errors did not apply to the financial institutions that used them to price contracts.

His sons Donald Jr. and Eric Trump testified last week that the financial documents at the center of the case were not their responsibility, although emails and other documents show they may have been more involved than their testimony.

A state appeals court removed Ivanka as a defendant in June, saying she did not engage in any conduct that James could sue.

Unlike her brothers, she did not oversee the Trump Organization during her father’s 2017-2021 term in the White House.

However, James said Ivanka was involved in manipulating property values.

“He will try to distance himself from the organization today, but unfortunately the facts will reveal that he was very involved,” James said on the court steps.

In a ruling that found Trump, his adult sons and 10 of his companies liable for fraud, Engoron described in stark terms how the defendants made the assessments. His ruling could remove control of some of Trump’s most famous properties, though that order has been stayed on appeal.

James is also seeking $250 million in fines and restrictions barring Trump and his adult sons from doing business in New York.

In addition to this case, Trump is a defendant in four separate criminal cases, including two stemming from his efforts to thwart Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory.

Nevertheless, polls show him leading Republican rivals to face Biden next year.

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