New York State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron on Friday ordered Ivanka Trump, daughter of the former President, must testify at her father’s business fraud trial.
Engoron said Ms. Trump would not be called as a witness before November 1, in order to give her time to appeal the ruling if she chooses.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed suit against Trump, his companies and its officers including Trump’s two adult sons—Ivanka’s brothers Donald Jr. and Eric—over allegations of more than 200 instances bank, tax and insurance fraud over a 10-year period from 2011 to 2021.
Ivanka Trump was initially also named as a defendant in the suit, but in June a New York State appeals court dismissed all charges against her, ruling that statutes of limitations prevented James from suing over transactions that occurred before July 13, 2014, or February 6, 2016, depending on the defendant—adding that all claims against Ivanka Trump were too old to be included the lawsuit.
Last month, Engoron issued a summary judgment in the civil suit, agreeing with James’ allegations that Trump and his company and officers did in fact commit business fraud during the decade in question.
The summary judgment resolved the key claim in James’ lawsuit, but the other claims remain, including the amount of damages that will be levied. The state Attorney General is suing Trump and the other defendants for $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in his home state.
The trial could last into December, according to Engoron.
PHOTO: Ivanka Trump at the White House with her father in 2018
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