Ivanka Trump testifies in New York fraud trial: catch up on how the day unfolded.
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NEW YORK − Ivanka Trump − the former president's oldest daughter and close confidante − took the witness stand Wednesday in a high-stakes New York trial over whether Donald Trump and others, including Trump business entities, should be forced to turn over hundreds of millions of dollars and lose business privileges for allegedly engaging multiple forms of fraud and conspiracy.
Her relatively subdued testimony followed a fiery appearance from Donald Trump on Monday, in which he described New York Attorney General Letitia James as a "fraud" and "hack," and railed against the September ruling of the judge, Arthur Engoron, that his financial statements inflated the value of his assets. Ivanka Trump, a former White House advisor and top company business leader, has already distanced herself from her father's claims of 2020 election fraud.
A state appeals court freed Ivanka Trump from defending against the case in June, ruling that her time at the Trump Organization was too long ago to be an appropriate target for the lawsuit. However, Engoron later ruled she still must testify under a New York state subpoena.
Recap here how today's testimony unfolded:
Ivanka expresses pride in redevelopment work as defense wraps questioning
Responding to a question from the defense near the end of her testimony, Ivanka Trump spoke with pride about her work redeveloping the Old Post Office property in Washington. She said a congresswoman who spearheaded the project was pleased with the Trump Organization’s proposal, and that Ivanka was later invited to speak at an infrastructure meeting in Brooklyn about the project.
It was viewed as a “very successful public-private partnership,” and multiple members of Congress wanted to encourage more processes like that, she said. She said she also believed upkeep of the property was costing taxpayers about $7.5 million per year, and that taxpayer funding ended when the Trump Organization took over the building.
-Aysha Bagchi
Defense focuses on whether Ivanka Trump was familiar with her father's financial statements
As the defense began asking Ivanka Trump questions Wednesday, lawyer Jesus Suarez appeared to be developing a further record on Ivanka Trump’s claims that she wasn’t very familiar with her father’s financial statements. Suarez asked her whether she was responsible for assigning values to assets on the statements, or in developing a methodology for valuing the assets. She replied that she wasn’t.
Defense lawyers didn’t ask any questions of Donald, Don Jr., or Eric Trump when the state finished its questions for those three Trump family members over the past week. However, all three men can still be called back to the stand by the defense after the state rests its case.
-Aysha Bagchi
NY AG Office grills Ivanka on financial statements in Old Post Office project
After a lunch break, Ivanka Trump is continuing to face questions about her work at the Trump Organization to buy and renovate the Old Post Office property in Washington, D.C. Louis Solomon, a lawyer for the New York Attorney General’s Office, grilled her before the lunch break on whether she remembered that the U.S. General Services Administration had asked about her father’s financial statements during discussions about the project. Ivanka Trump negotiated both the lease and a loan related to the property, according to the government.
Ivanka Trump said she recalled they asked “a series of questions on all sorts of elements related to our proposal,” but outside of documents she has been shown in pre-trial and trial proceedings, she didn’t recall that one of those questions related to her father’s financial statements.
According to the state’s lawsuit, financing of up to $170 million from Deutsche Bank in connection with the purchase and renovation of the property was tied to a certification from Donald Trump that his financial statement was accurate.
-Aysha Bagchi
Anti-Trump Republicans spotlight protests of Ivanka
Republicans who oppose Donald Trump politically aren't saying much about Ivanka Trump's testimony - it's the reception she received as she entered the courthouse that has drawn more attention.
"Fraud Family!" the organization Republicans Against Trump said on the X social media site, quoting the video of protesters who greeted the former First Daughter at the courthouse.
"Ivanka Trump was met by protesters as she arrived at the court in NY to testify at daddy's fraud trial," the organization said in its post.
-David Jackson
Ivanka Trump, like her brothers, testifies to ignorance on financial statements
Asked if she was aware her father had personal statements on financial condition between 2011 and her departure from the Trump Organization in 2017, Ivanka Trump said she would assume he had those, “but those weren’t things that I was privy to.”
That answer echoes testimony from her brothers Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who similarly said in proceedings last week they lacked significant knowledge about the statements.
It’s an important issue in the case because the New York Attorney General’s Office has accused Donald Trump and others of issuing false financial statements, and Judge Arthur Engoron has already found the statements inflated the value of Trump’s assets. The statements played a role in securing better loan terms, according to the state attorney general’s office.
-Aysha Bagchi
Ivanka Trump denies working for Trump Organization since early 2017
The state opened its questioning of Ivanka Trump by asking about her educational background and early work at the Trump Organization. Asked if she performed any work at the business since 2017, she replied, “I don’t believe so, no.”
An appeals court tossed out New York’s case against Ivanka Trump in June, ruling that her work at the Trump Organization was too long ago to be targeted by the lawsuit. She left the organization to join her father’s presidential administration in early 2017 as a senior adviser.
Ivanka Trump worked earlier for the company and the lawsuit spans allegations dating to 2011.
-Aysha Bagchi
Ivanka takes the witness stand
Unlike her father, Ivanka did not stop outside the courtroom on her way into the trial to make a statement to reporters. The former president tends to "pre-game" before his appearance. Ivanka Trump's walk-up, in contrast, was more subdued.
In fact, there weren't any photographers or videographers who came in when she entered the courtroom.
Her testimony began with questions about her education and early career work.
-- Aysha Bagchi
Protesters urge criminal prosecution of Ivanka Trump and her father
Protesters called for the criminal prosecution of Ivanka Trump while waiting for her arrival at the New York courthouse, where she was subpoenaed to testify at a civil fraud trial that named her father and two brothers as defendants but not her.
One sign urged New York Attorney General Letitia James to “indict Ivanka Trump” and another portrayed Donald Trump as a prisoner behind bars.
But the lawsuit is civil rather than criminal, seeking $250 million in damages and to bar the former president from conducting business in New York state, which he is fighting.
Trump contends the case is a political attack from a Democratic attorney general and judge. But another protester held a sign thanking James for holding Trump accountable.
-- Bart Jansen
NY AG Letitia James: Ivanka Trump benefitted from fraud at Trump Organization
New York Attorney General Letitia James told reporters before Ivanka Trump’s testimony Wednesday that the former president’s daughter is inextricably linked to fraud at his namesake company and that she benefitted personally from it.
“She benefitted from it personally,” James said. “Ms. Trump will do all that she can to separate herself from this corporation, but she is inextricably tied to the Trump Organization and to these properties that she helped secure financing for. You cannot hide from the truth.”
--Bart Jansen
James: Ivanka knew about Trump business dealings
Responding to Trump's criticisms, Attorney General Letitia James says she called Ivanka to the stand because she has been involved with her father's business dealings.
"Ivanka was a senior executive at the organization who secured more favorable loans by using Trump’s fraudulent statements of financial condition," James said on the social media site X (formerly Twitter).
"You cannot cheat for personal gain."
-David Jackson
Donald Trump will not be in the courtroom for Ivanka
Donald Trump will not be at the New York courthouse this morning to watch daughter Ivanka testify - he has a political engagement instead.
The elder Trump will headline a 2024 campaign rally tonight in Hialeah, Fla., an event designed to counter-program the Republican presidential candidate debate in nearby Miami.
Trump, who attended the testimony of his two sons, did praise Ivanka in an early morning Truth Social post. He also he attacked the attorney general's office and the judge for forcing Ivanka to testify.
"Now they are trying to bring Ivanka into the case, despite the Court of Appeals ruling that she cannot be charged," Trump said. "Sad!"
-David Jackson
More: Former President Donald Trump and his family appear in court for civil fraud trial in NYC
What will Ivanka be asked on the witness stand?
The New York Attorney General's Office may ask Ivanka about her time at the Trump Organization as it aims to prove Donald, Don Jr., and Eric Trump, as well as the organization itself, issued false financial statements and engaged in insurance fraud. Ivanka was an executive vice president for the Trump Organization until early 2017, and in that role secured financing for business properties, according to the state's lawsuit.
Financing has been a major theme in the trial so far. The financial statements were used to get favorable loans for at least 11 years, such as up to $170 million from Deutsche Bank in connection with the Trump Organization buying and working on the Old Post Office property in Washington, according to the state attorney general.
-Aysha Bagchi
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump trial live updates: what you missed as Ivanka Trump testified.
