New York Judge Rules Ivanka Trump Must Testify in Civil Fraud Trial
New York Judge Arthur Engoron has ruled that Ivanka Trump, daughter and senior adviser to former President Donald Trump, must testify in her father’s civil fraud trial. The judge denied Ivanka’s attorneys’ motion to quash a subpoena for her testimony, stating that her testimony should not be scheduled before Wednesday to allow time for her to appeal the ruling.
Ivanka Trump’s attorney argued that she should not be forced to appear in court after an appellate court removed her as a defendant in the case. However, Judge Engoron disagreed, stating that Ivanka Trump had availed herself of the privilege of doing business in New York. He also noted that she should have submitted an affidavit asserting that she does not live or work in the state presently.
Following the decision, a follow-up request from Donald Trump’s attorney to conduct Ivanka Trump’s deposition in Florida was quickly denied by Judge Engoron. He emphasized his preference for hearing testimony live in court.
Attorneys for both Donald and Ivanka Trump claimed that she has not lived or worked in New York since 2017, therefore arguing that the court does not have jurisdiction over her. They accused New York Attorney General Letitia James of seeking Ivanka’s testimony to create a media spectacle. The subpoena was characterized as “continued harassment of President Trump’s children.”
Ivanka Trump was initially listed as a co-defendant in the $250 million lawsuit filed by Letitia James in September 2021. The lawsuit alleges that Trump, his children, and Trump Organization executives were involved in an expansive fraud scheme to enrich themselves. However, a New York appeals court dismissed Ivanka Trump as a co-defendant in June, ruling that the claims against her were too old. She was still identified as a potential witness in the case.
Ivanka Trump’s attorneys argued that she has not lived or worked regularly in New York since 2017 and that she is no longer a party in the case. They claimed that the business entities registered in New York, where the subpoena was sent, are not parties in the case either.
The attorney general’s office countered, stating that Ivanka Trump is still intertwined with the Trump Organization and has personal knowledge of a loan related to the Old Post Office project in Washington, DC. The attorney general’s complaint alleges that Ivanka Trump was liable for the fraud committed on a Deutsche Bank loan issued for the project.
Judge Engoron considered the prospect of limiting the scope of Ivanka Trump’s questioning to the Old Post Office loan. Additional developments in the case are expected.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.