Judge orders Ivanka Trump to testify in her father's New York civil fraud trial
CNBCNov 01, 2023
Judge Orders Ivanka Trump to Testify in New York Civil Fraud Trial
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Image copyright: Trump White House Archived/Flickr [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Facts
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron ruled Friday that Ivanka Trump will have to take the witness stand at her father's $250M civil fraud trial, determining that the former US first daughter would not testify before Wednesday so as to allow her to appeal this decision.
He also denied a request from Donald Trump's lawyer, Chris Kise, to allow a deposition from Ivanka to take place in Florida, noting that he prefers to hear testimony live in court. She has allegedly not lived or worked in New York since 2017, but Engoron stated that she failed to submit an affidavit within due time.
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Ivanka may have sought to distance herself from the political operations of her father since his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, especially as his legal troubles have worsened recently, but remains involved with the Trump Organization and other plaintiffs. Given that she has relevant personal knowledge about this business fraud case, her testimony will be of great value.
Pro-Trump narrative
This ruling is a complete absurdity, as an appeals court had ruled earlier this year that Ivanka — no longer an executive for the Trump Organization — couldn't be called to testify in this politically motivated case. As New York Attorney General Letitia James persists in unlawfully harassing the former US first daughter, it's shocking that Engoron makes no effort to conceal his partisanship.
