Ivanka Trump Ordered to Testify in Father’s NY Civil Trial
A New York judge ordered Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump to testify at the ongoing trial of the state’s $250 million civil fraud lawsuit against the former president and his sprawling real estate company.
Justice Arthur Engoron on Friday denied Ivanka Trump’s request to strike down a subpoena by New York Attorney General Letitia James seeking her testimony about financial transactions, rejecting her argument that she no longer has sufficient business ties to New York to be subject to the court’s jurisdiction.
“Ms. Trump has clearly availed herself of the privilege of doing business in New York,” Engoron said after holding a brief hearing on the matter.
Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner in the 2024 campaign for president, is accused of inflating his assets by billions of dollars in financial documents provided to banks and insurers.
The New York trial is one of six he is facing as he seeks to return to the White House next year. Trump denies wrongdoing and says the case is part of a “witch hunt” by Democrats.
The former president’s daughter is scheduled to testify as soon as Nov. 3 if she fails to overturn the subpoena on appeal.
She was initially a defendant in the suit, but she won dismissal by an appeals court earlier this year. Her lawyer argued the subpoena was a form of “harassment” to bypass her dismissal from the suit.
Trump’s adult sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who are defendants in the suit, are expected to testify as soon as Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, respectively, lawyers for the state told the judge on Friday. Trump would then testify Nov. 6.