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Ivanka Trump must testify in her father, former President Donald Trump's business fraud trial, a judge ruled on Friday.
Judge Arthur Engoron sided with New York Attorney Letitia James, who has argued that Ivanka Trump should be compelled to testify in the trial, during a hearing on Friday morning.
Engoron described the trial as "a search for truth," deciding that the public has a right to hear "every person's evidence." He determined, however, that Ivanka Trump would not have to take the witness stand by November 1 to allow her time to appeal his decision.
Newsweek reached out to Ivanka Trump's attorney Bennet Moskowitz for comment via email.
James is suing former President Trump for $250 million, accusing him of inflating his net worth by billions of dollars to obtain benefits such as better bank loans and reduced tax bills between 2011 and 2021. Trump maintains his innocence in the case, accusing prosecutors of targeting him for political purposes.
The lawsuit is civil, not criminal, meaning that Trump will not face jail time in this case. Trump pleaded not guilty in this case as well as in the other three indictments he's facing.
Engoron ruled last month that Trump, his adult sons, their businesses and executives committed fraud. He will now decide on six other accusations, including falsifying business records, insurance fraud, and conspiracy claims during the trial.
James has sought to compel Ivanka Trump's testimony. But her lawyers last week filed a motion requesting James' office to quash a subpoena forcing her to testify, arguing she should not be required to do so because she was dropped from the case earlier this year due to a statute of limitations.
The price of Ivanka's penthouse has come under scrutiny amid the trial. Donald Bender, a partner at Mazars USA and longtime accountant for Donald Trump's businesses, testified the valuation given for the Trump Park Avenue penthouse in Manhattan was different than the price offered to Ivanka Trump to buy it outright.
James' lawsuit alleged the Trump Organization valued the apartment at $20.8 million, compared with the $8.5 million option price offered to Trump's daughter.
James on Thursday filed a motion dismissing Ivanka's attorney's arguments that she should not be required to testify, writing that she "remains under the control of the Trump Organization."
"She does not seem to be averse to her involvement in the family business when it comes to owning and collecting proceeds from the OPO sale, the Trump Organization purchasing insurance for her and her companies, managing her household staff and credit card bills, renting her apartment or even paying her legal fees in this action," the filing reads.
Update 10/27/23, 12:20 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more