Ivanka Trump testifies in father's fraud case

2023-11-08 17:14:00, Aktualitet CNA

Ivanka Trump has taken the stand in a civil fraud case that threatens to strip her father and brothers of prized New York properties like Trump Tower, the BBC reports.

A judge has already found Donald Trump and his two grown sons, Eric and Donald Jr., liable for fraud, ruling that they inflated assets to secure favorable loans.

Ivanka Trump, 42, was also originally a co-defendant until an appeals court ruled in her favor this year.

She fought hard to avoid testifying in the case.

But a New York judge and an appeals court ruled that she must take the stand.

Speaking softly into a microphone, Trump began her testimony in New York Supreme Court in lower Manhattan on Wednesday morning.

As they did with her brothers, lawyers for the attorney general's office showed Mrs. Trump a series of emails intended to bolster their case, asking if she knew the messages.

In short and concise answers, she said she did not remember.

The stakes are high for the Trump family in the non-jury trial, in which the judge will rule on charges of falsifying business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $250 million in fines and tougher restrictions on how the Trump family conducts business in New York.

The prosecutor said on the courthouse steps Wednesday morning that Ivanka Trump was "very involved" in the family business./ CNA