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Ivanka Trump takes stand in fraud case probing the family business

She is not a defendant in the case, but prosecutors said she was personally involved and remains a key player in the Trump Organization.
Posted at 8:42 AM, Nov 08, 2023

Ivanka Trump is the latest member of the Trump family to testify in the civil fraud trial in New York regarding the family business. 

She took the stand Wednesday morning in a Manhattan courtroom. 

Ivanka appeared calm as she answered questions about her former role in the Trump Organization

"What role did you have in creating statements of financial decisions for your father," Ivanka was asked. 

"None that I'm aware of," she replied. 

Unlike her brothers Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, Ivanka is not a defendant in New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit.

Prior to taking the stand, Ivanka's attorneys argued that their client shouldn't be required to testify. They claimed prosecutors were just trying to harass the family by dragging her into court. But prosecutors claimed Ivanka was personally involved in some of the events in the case, and remains a key player in the Trump Organization. 

Donald Trump testimony in fraud case leads to testy exchanges
In this courtroom sketch, former President Donald Trump testifies on the witness stand.

Donald Trump testimony in fraud case leads to testy exchanges

While on the stand, Trump described the trial as "crazy," oftentimes being rebuked by the judge.

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Former President Donald Trump took the stand Monday, which led to some testy exchanges.

At times the judge had to intervene, repeatedly telling him to answer the prosecutor's questions and not give lengthy speeches.

He spent about four hours on the stand defending his business dealings and wealth. 

His two oldest sons, who are executives at the Trump Organization, testified last week that they were not involved in their father's annual statements of financial condition that allegedly show property prices were inflated. 

The $250 million lawsuit alleges Trump and his two sons knowingly committing fraud by exaggerating the value of some of their assets in order to secure loans and get better insurance rates. The judge already ruled that fraud was committed. This part of the trial is to determine damages.