Ivanka Trump Kushner may have successfully weaseled her way out of being named as a defendant in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ $250 million civil fraud lawsuit against the Trump Organization, but that hasn’t prevented her from being thrust into the middle of the trial anyway.
Last week, the former first daughter, who worked as an executive vice president for the family business before quitting to become a senior advisor in the Trump White House, found her name on the list witnesses submitted by James to the Superior Court of New York County.
Gulp.
It’s unknown when she will be called to testify, but her name has already been brought up in testimony from other witnesses.
Yesterday, on day two of the trial, the court heard from Donald Bender, a former accountant for the ex-president, who said under oath that he noticed a Trump Park Avenue penthouse valued at two and a half times higher in business records than the price Ivanka was quoted when she was considering buying the apartment.
According to Bender, Ivanka’s penthouse was valued at $20.8 million on the financial documents, but it was offered to her for just $8.5 million.
That’s quite a discrepancy!
And that’s just one apartment in one of Trump’s properties.
The ex-president and his two adult sons, Don Jr. and Eric, are accused of inflating the value of their real estate portfolio by billions of dollars a year to secure cheaper rates from banks and insurers.
Justice Arthur Engoron, who has been overseeing the trial, has already found them liable for fraud. Now, he’s reviewing evidence and hearing testimony from witnesses to determine the exact scope of the crimes committed and what the appropriate punishment should be.
James has asked that the one-term, twice-impeached, quadruple-indicted ex-president and his sons be fined $250 million and be barred from ever conducting business in the state of New York ever again. Trump could also lose his New York properties, including Trump Tower and Trump Park Avenue.
Now, back to Ivanka.
Prior to landing on the witness list last week, she was a named defendant in the case, but she managed to convince an appeals court to dismiss the charges against her by essentially throwing her dad and brothers under the bus earlier this year.
In April, she ditched the team of lawyers she had been sharing with them and hired her own attorney, Bennet Moskowitz, who is perhaps most famous for representing the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.
In May, Moskowitz argued that James’ lawsuit “does not contain a single allegation that Ms. Trump directly or indirectly created, prepared, reviewed, or certified any of her father’s financial statements.”
“Other individuals were responsible for those tasks,” he told the court. (The “other individuals” presumably being Ivanka’s family members.)
And in June, the New York appeals court ultimately determined the statutes of limitations had run out so Ivanka could no longer be charged, earning her the nickname “Teflon Ivanka”, to go along with her “#UnwantedIvanka” and “Nepotism Barbie” monikers.
Day three of the trial kicked off this morning. Yesterday, the ex-president, who has vowed to take the witness stand “at the appropriate time”, was gag-ordered by Judge Engoron after he attacked one of his clerks on social media.
Speaking outside the courthouse yesterday, Trump said, “This trial is a disgrace. Never happened. Nothing like this has never happened before.”
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Holy sh*t, Ivanka’s name just landed on the witness list by prosecutors in the fraud lawsuit against her family
This sounds like it’s gonna be messy.
RIGay
Another year, another awkward Thanksgiving dinner in the Trump household.
abfab
Oh, does the Palm Beach Denny’s do a Turkey Day Spread?
Rikki Roze
Amazing how greedy the super rich can be.
abfab
And vulgar. And tacky. And tasteless. Not to mention, boring, humorless, ugly and heartless.
Jimmynj
You know it’s only going to be a matter of time before Don Jr. and Eric (aka the Beavis and Butthead of TrumpWorld) speak out against Ivanka for tossing them under the bus. That whole family is trash and should lose everything.
abfab
There will be nothing left TO lose.
ScottOnEarth
Each member of that entire family is soulless, greedy and self-serving and would gladly turn on each other to save their own as*es at any given time. OF COURSE Ivanka engaged in the same behavior but, unlike her dimwit father and brothers, she was probably better at hiding it. She may be an identified witness but there’s no question that she will gladly lie under oath. It’s a family trait.
Matthewnow
They are all the Kuntiest Kunts who ever Kunted
abfab
See/enjoy/ dance to C U N TY…………..the Kevin Aviance video. It’s sublime.
abfab
Oh Daddy, don’t ask! BEG! Get down and GROVEL on the ground like the RAT that you are!
TRUMP URGES NEW YOUK JUDGE TO DISMISS HUSH MONEY CHARGES
By Kara Scannell and Lauren del Valle, CNN
8:30 AM EDT, Thu October 5, 2023