‘She was very much involved’: NY AG comments on Ivanka Trump ahead of testimony
Ivanka Trump has taken the stand in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial, becoming the fourth member of the family to take the stand after her father’s chaotic appearance on Monday, and the testimony of her brothers Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump last week.
Taking to Truth Social on Tuesday night, Mr Trump fumed about Ivanka having to testify.
“Tomorrow my wonderful and beautiful daughter, Ivanka, is going to the Lower Manhattan Courthouse, at the direction of Letitia Peekaboo James, the Corrupt and Racist New York State Attorney General, who has allowed Murder and Violent Crime in New York to flourish, and a Trump Hating, out of control Clubhouse appointed Judge, Arthur Engoron,” he ranted, before adding that it was “sad”.
This comes after Mr Trump’s testimony on Monday, in which he lashed out at both Judge Arthur Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James, calling her a “political hack”. The judge warned Mr Trump to stop using the courtroom as a “political rally” and urged his attorney “to control him”.
The trial threatens to topple the family’s business empire — the Trump Organization.
Alex Woodward reported from inside the courtroom for The Independent.
Key Points
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Regarding the statements of financial condition, Ivanka Trump said she doesn’t recall anything “specifically”. But what about generally? Not getting much from that one either.
We see an email from former Trump Organization executive David Orowitz, about responding to the federal government’s deficiency letter regarding the Old Post Office in Washington, DC.
Orowitz said their response could “potentially fill in holes on some of their more vague comments”.
Solomon with the NYAG’s office turns questioning to a meeting Donald Trump, Ivanka and others had with the GSA concerning the project. Solomon asks if she recalls the government raising questions about Trump’s financial statements.
He is getting frustrated, raising his voice over objections from Trump’s attorneys.
“She just spent three minutes describing the Plaza Hotel, how people spoke about this, how people spoke about that – so the witness does have a recollection, your honour,” he said.
“The question was just simply, Did you at that meeting discuss Donald J Trump’s financial statements in any way shape or form?”
Ms Trump was smiling over the cross-talk with attorneys, looking at the judge and trying to jump in with an answer.
She said that the “caveat” of her answer is that the meeting was about the Old Post Office development, which she said she was proud of because she “worked hard” on it. But she said she didn’t recall any discussions about her father’s financial statements.
Alex Woodward8 November 2023 17:49
Returning to the subject of the Old Post Office project in Washington, DC, the court is shown a letter from the General Services Administration from December 2011 raising questions about Trump’s financial statements.
They “appear to have multiple GAAP departures.”
[GAAP, or generally accepted accounting principles, are the guidelines for the statements of financial condition shared with lenders etc. Ivanka and Don Jr have both said they don’t really know what they are – outside of what they learned in some of the nation’s top universities.]
Ivanka says: “We spent years working on a response to requests for proposals … Many emails, many conversations … I don’t have a recollection sitting here years later about this in particular.”
Louis Solomon, who has been questioning her for roughly two hours, fires back: “This isn’t a response to a proposal, it’s a deficiency letter.”
“That’s what it appears to be,” she said. “I generally remember GSA came back to us and asked for clarification … we endeavoured to get them answers.”
Alex Woodward8 November 2023 17:33
NY fraud trial: Praise for court technicians
What we can’t see, because of the lack of cameras to broadcast proceedings, is how much this trial relies heavily on documentation, and how that is presented in court.
Judge Engoron takes a moment to praise the technicians putting the evidence on the screen and highlighting the appropriate sections.
Ivanka Trump adds, genially: “I compliment them as well. Very impressive.”
Oliver O’Connell8 November 2023 17:26
Trump attorney Christopher Kise has a tendency to go to Trumpian lengths to defend his arguments. This time he called the Old Post Office a “hulking relic” and a “world-class facility”.
“You’re starting to sound like your client,” Judge Engoron says.
In an amusing moment, the judge also corrected Kise when he said: “The ship has gone.”
He jumped in: “The ship has sailed.”
Returning to the objection, Judge Engoron clicks his tongue: “I disagree. Overruled. Let’s get the witness back in.”
“Sorry to have kept you in the dark,” he tells Ivanka Trump.
Alex Woodward8 November 2023 17:21
Court sketch: Ivanka Trump testifies
Louis Solomon of the New York attorney general’s office questions Ivanka Trump on the witness stand during the Trump Organization civil fraud trial before Judge Arthur Engoron
(REUTERS)
Oliver O’Connell8 November 2023 17:16
Ivanka Trump is excused from the court while attorneys debate the repeat objections from the defence over the statute of limitations.
Judge Arthur Engoron is overruling objections to evidence from before 2016 and 2014 “because these deals … at least some of them, had requirements for updated financials for year after year after year.”
“To me, they’re very much part of this case,” he said.
Trump attorney Christopher Kise counters: “I would respectfully disagree.”
He said it is “theoretically impossible” and “beyond implausible” that individuals in 2011, 2012 and up to 2014 “could not possibly have been impacted by certifications” in subsequent years.
Alex Woodward8 November 2023 17:10
Alex Woodward reports from the courtroom:
In 2013, the Trump Organization obtained a ground lease from the Federal General Services Administration to redevelop the Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC into a hotel. The New York AG’s office had previously stated that Ivanka “captained” that project.
The Trumps obtained a $170m loan for construction through Deutsche Bank, which required Mr Trump to certify the accuracy of the statements of financial condition he used to secure the loan.
In May 2022, the Trump Organization sold the property for $375m, at a $100m profit, “the result of the loan he was able to obtain by using his false and misleading statements,” according to the attorney general’s complaint.
The NYAG’s office hands Ivanka Trump a copy of the proposal.
“You’re bringing back a lot of memories,” she says, laughing.
Oliver O’Connell8 November 2023 17:05
Ivanka Trump’s email correspondence with Deutsche Bank and her colleagues in the Trump Organization are a big part of the evidence today.
Oliver O’Connell8 November 2023 17:03
NY fraud trial: Court resumes after morning break
Ivanka Trump, daughter of former US President Donald Trump, returns after a break in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial
(AFP via Getty Images)
Court resumes after the morning break with Ivanka Trump back on the witness stand.
Court is shown a 2012 email from Deutsche Bank concerning the Trump International Hotel & Condominiums in Chicago.
Sent by David Goodman to Ivanka it included the “agreed upon summary of term for the financing of the Trump International Tower in Chicago.”
Also copied in were Deutsche Bank’s Rosemary Vrablic and the Trump Organization’s David Orowitz.
Ivanka is asked if she recognises the document.
Oliver O’Connell8 November 2023 16:56
There is a series of questions about the statements of financial condition, the Trump Organization documents at the heart of the case.
Ivanka Trump replies: “As we discussed roughly a year and a half ago, I would assume he [Donald Trump] would have personal financial statements … You showed me a few documents and emails and correspondence which reference financial statements broadly but that was not something I was involved in.”
She is asked if she knew he had them.
“I’m not involved with his personal financial statements,” Ivanka says. “I didn’t know about his personal statements, per se, other than what you showed me.”
Counsel rephrases to dial in with a more specific and targeted question: “Did you have any role preparing Donald J Trump’s statements of financial condition?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Did you ever provide valuations for assets in them?”
“Did you ever review statements before they were finalised?”
“I don’t recall that, no.”
Court takes a short break.
Alex Woodward8 November 2023 16:30