Ivanka Trump testifies she doesn't know much about financial documents in N.Y. fraud trial: Takeaways

I'm sorry, Daddy, but they gave me a subpoena!

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T

Updated Nov. 8, 2023, 10:11 PM UTCBy NBC News

Takeaways from Ivanka Trump's testimony

• Ivanka Trump, former President Donald Trump's older daughter, testified Wednesday in the $250 million civil fraud trial.
• She left the Trump Organization in 2017 to become a top White House aide for her father. Though she had been a co-defendant alongside her brothers Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, an appeals court removed her from the case in June.
• Ivanka Trump testified during her direct examination and cross-examination that she wasn't involved and didn't know much about her father's financial statements, which are at the heart of New York Attorney General Letitia James' case. But James told reporters this morning that the ex-White House adviser is "inextricably tied to the Trump Organization."
• She was largely evasive with her answers on the stand, often responding with the statement, "I don't recall," when she was asked about financial documents.
• James described Ivanka Trump's style of answering questions as "cordial" and "controlled" — different from the combative style of her father and her brother Eric Trump when they testified.
• Ivanka Trump was the fourth and final member of the Trump family to testify. The former president testified Monday, and his two adult sons took the stand last week.

18h ago / 10:11 PM UTC

AG 'failed to prove' its case, Trump lawyer says outside the courthouse

Kyla Guilfoil

Trump attorney Alina Habba, speaking briefly to reporters outside the courthouse after today's proceedings, said the attorney general's office has "failed to prove the essential elements of the case."

Trump's legal team will be "dealing with all this tomorrow" by moving for a directed verdict, Habba continued.

The district attorney "needs to look at how much money was spent ... how much money was wasted by New York," Habba said. "Ivanka, another child of the Trump family, was dragged into court again. It's enough."

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Copied18h ago / 10:00 PM UTC

James leaves court, calls Ivanka Trump 'cordial' and 'controlled'

Kyla Guilfoil and Andy Weir

James said Ivanka Trump was "cordial," "disciplined" and "controlled" in her testimony today, but added that "her testimony raises some questions with regards to its credibility."

The attorney general said that "based on the evidence," Ivanka Trump "clearly was involved in negotiating and securing loans favorable loans for the benefit of the Trump Organization, for Mr. Trump, and her brothers, and for herself."

"At the end of the day, this case is about fraudulent statements of financial condition that she benefited from," James said. "She was enriched, and clearly, you cannot distance yourself from that fact."

As she has said repeatedly to reporters throughout the trial, James added that "the numbers do not lie."

"Despite the fact that she was very, very nice and very friendly, the facts basically demonstrate the truth," James said.

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Copied19h ago / 9:48 PM UTC

Trump lawyer erupted at attorney general's lawyers

Adam Reiss, Chloe Atkins and Dareh Gregorian

Near the end of his cross-examination of Ivanka Trump, defense lawyer Jesus Suarez got heated when he heard chuckling from attorneys of the AG's office, which he thought was about his line of questioning.

The "government is sitting here laughing at their attempt to destroy this company," he snapped loudly, startling onlookers in the courtroom.

"They think this is funny," he said. "This is not funny when I am talking about the great work this family has done."

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Copied19h ago / 9:48 PM UTC

Judge rules that Trump must disclose whether he will use an advice-of-counsel defense in D.C. trial

Daniel Barnes and Zoe Richards

Donald Trump will be required to disclose by Jan. 15 whether he will rely on an advice-of-counsel defense at his D.C. trial, the presiding judge in his federal election interference case ruled Wednesday.

"Notice without disclosure would have little practical value and would inject undue delay into the parties' pretrial preparation," U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote.

An advice-of-counsel defense would require Trump to introduce evidence showing that he relied in good faith on his attorney's advice that his conduct was legal and that he fully disclosed all material facts to his attorney before obtaining the advice in question.

Trump previously consented to provide such notice by that date, but argued he should not be simultaneously required to turn over to prosecutors the attorney-client material that he would use to support such a defense.

Chutkan rejected that argument in today's order, adding that if Trump uses such a defense, he must also "provide the required discovery to the government at that time."

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Copied19h ago / 9:40 PM UTC

Court adjourned

Kyla Guilfoil and Chloe Atkins

Court proceedings are over for the day and will resume tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET.

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Copied19h ago / 9:38 PM UTC

Ivanka Trump departs NYC courthouse

Andy Weir

Ivanka Trump departed court in New York moments ago after finishing her testimony. She exited via the front steps and did not answer questions or speak. As she walked out, there was a mix of applause and jeers by people nearby, though no formal protestors appeared to be present.

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Copied19h ago / 9:36 PM UTC

Judge appears to be more careful about conferring with his law clerk

Kyla Guilfoil and Adam Reiss

Notably, Judge Engoron has only engaged with his law clerk once or twice throughout today's proceedings.

On a typical day, prior to complaints about his clerk from Trump lawyer Chris Kise, Engoron would ask her opinion maybe a dozen times or more.

Trump and Kise have complained about the judge's clerk for weeks. Earlier this month, Engoron expanded a gag order, issued after the judge claimed Trump had made "inappropriate remarks" about his law clerk, to include members of the former president's legal team.

He said in his order that Kise, and two other Trump lawyers, Clifford Robert and Alina Habba, made remarks about his clerk, "falsely accusing her of bias against them and of improperly influencing the ongoing bench trial."

Today, the clerk was sitting in the same seat inches from the judge but remained largely quiet throughout the proceedings. Engoron had argued that he has the right of unfettered access to his law clerk, but he now appears aware of the optics and has chosen to be prudent when reaching out to her — or maybe it's just a coincidence.

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Copied19h ago / 9:29 PM UTC

Ivanka Trump concludes her testimony

Chloe Atkins

The cross-examination of the former president's eldest daughter has wrapped. There'll be no redirect.

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Copied20h ago / 8:16 PM UTC

Ivanka Trump distances herself from financial statements

Adam Reiss and Dareh Gregorian

Under cross-examination, Ivanka Trump doubled down on her earlier assertions that she had nothing to do with her father's financial statements.

Asked if she had any role in them, she said, "None that I'm aware of." Asked if she prepared, reviewed, approved them or had anything to do with the methodology that was used in them, she repeatedly answered: "No."

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Copied20h ago / 7:58 PM UTC

AG seeks to bar some Trump experts from testifying

Adam Reiss and Dareh Gregorian

The AG's office submitted a filing today arguing that some of the Trump team's proposed experts should be barred from testifying when the defense begins presenting its case.

The filing contends that three of the experts would opine on issues the judge already decided ahead of trial, and that two were listed as rebuttal witnesses against experts the AG's office wound up not calling to testify.

Trump's lawyers are expected to respond to the filing in court. The defense is scheduled to begin presenting its case Monday.

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Copied20h ago / 7:57 PM UTC

Trump's lawyers begins cross-examination of Ivanka Trump

Kyla Guilfoil and Chloe Atkins

The attorney general's prosecutor has finished his direct examination of Ivanka Trump.

Defense attorney Jesus Suarez will now begin his cross-examination.

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Copied21h ago / 7:30 PM UTC

Judge denies spousal privilege claim on Jared Kushner emails

Adam Reiss and Dareh Gregorian

Engoron has denied a motion from Trump's attorneys to block Ivanka Trump from being asked about emails between her and her husband, Jared Kushner.

Trump lawyer Chris Kise had argued that the emails were protected by spousal privilege, and that "the witness cannot be compelled to speak about communications with her spouse." The judge sided with the AG's office, which contended the emails were sent from work email addresses on work topics.

"It is not privileged," the judge said.

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Copied21h ago / 7:22 PM UTC

Court has returned from the lunch break

Kyla Guilfoil and Chloe Atkins

The court is back in session after a lunch break.

The judge returned to the courtroom around 2:15 p.m. ET, and Ivanka Trump is now back on the stand to resume her testimony.

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Copied22h ago / 5:57 PM UTC

Rehema Ellis

Ivanka Trump took the stand in the New York civil fraud trial of the Trump Organization today and testified that she did not know many details related to the financial documents at the center of the case.

Before the lunch break, Ivanka Trump was asked a number of questions about how loans were secured, about emails that went back and forth between her and different members of loan organization, and she said repeatedly, politely: "I do not recall."

Her way of answering has been different from the combative style of her father, Donald Trump, and brother Eric Trump when they testified earlier in the trial.

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Copied23h ago / 5:55 PM UTC

Lunch break begins

Kyla Guilfoil and Chloe Atkins

The court has taken a lunch break just before 1 p.m. ET, with proceedings expected to resume around 2:15 p.m. ET.

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Copied23h ago / 5:33 PM UTC

'You're starting to sound like your client,' judge tells Trump lawyer

Adam Reiss and Dareh Gregorian

Ivanka Trump came off the stand briefly while lawyers argued over the AG's line of questioning.

Trump lawyer Chris Kise said questions about her involvement in a deal to convert the Old Post Office in Washington, D.C., into a hotel were irrelevant because of statute of limitation issues, and noted the government agency involved in the talks was happy with it.

"They were thrilled with the renovation, and it was a world-class facility," he said.

"You're starting to sound like your client," Engoron replied.

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Copied1d ago / 4:47 PM UTC

Court resumes

Kyla Guilfoil and Chloe Atkins

The court returned from a short break at about 11:40 a.m. ET. Ivanka Trump is now back on the stand.

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Copied1d ago / 4:44 PM UTC

Ivanka Trump says she didn't know much about financial statements

Adam Reiss and Dareh Gregorian

Just before the break, Ivanka Trump testified she was not involved in her father's financial statements, which are at the heart of the AG's case.

"I would assume he would have personal financial statements for accountants but those were not statements I was privy to," she said.

Asked if she had "any role" in preparing them, she said, "Not that I'm aware of." "As I told you, I had no involvement in his statement of financial condition and don't know about the valuations that were taken into account," she said.

She added that she is not involved with the business — or the statements — now. "As I sit here now, I am not involved in his personal financial statements," she said.

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Copied1d ago / 4:34 PM UTC

Court pauses for a break

Kyla Guilfoil

The court took a 15-minute break from around 11:30 a.m. ET.

The judge directed Ivanka Trump not to discuss the case during the break.

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Copied1d ago / 4:28 PM UTC

Trump lawyer gripes about Ivanka Trump being 'dragged' to court

Adam Reiss, Chloe Atkins and Dareh Gregorian

As Louis Solomon from the AG's office continued to ask Ivanka Trump about business transactions that are more than a decade old, Trump lawyer Chris Kise questioned why she was testifying at all after being "dragged" to court.

An annoyed Solomon shot back that he was asking her about Trump Organizations deals she'd negotiated "from top to bottom."

The married mother had unsuccessfully fought the AG's subpoena for her to testify, arguing that she's no longer a Trump Organization employee and doesn't live in New York, and that her testimony was scheduled in the middle of a school week.

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Copied1d ago / 3:54 PM UTC

Ivanka Trump is becoming more evasive on the stand

Kyla Guilfoil, Adam Reiss and Chloe Atkins

Ivanka Trump appears to be very poised, friendly and willing to engage with the attorney general's office during her testimony, but is beginning to become more evasive with her answers.

She smiles and speaks softly, responding politely, but has started to repeat the phrase, "I don't recall," in response to documents being shown to her, including letters and emails she wrote herself.

Chris Kise, one of the president's attorneys, has also made several objections. Engoron questioned Kise if he was "going to object to every document."

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Copied1d ago / 3:17 PM UTC

A little louder: Judge asks soft-spoken Ivanka Trump to speak up

Adam Reiss and Dareh Gregorian

In less than 10 minutes on the witness stand, the soft-spoken Ivanka Trump was twice asked by the judge to speak a little louder and he also asked her to move closer to the microphone.

She seems comfortable and cooperative on the stand as she recounts her work history.

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Copied1d ago / 3:04 PM UTC

Trump family dynamics on display today

Adam Reiss

The Trump family dynamics will be on display here today as Ivanka Trump appears completely separate from the family. She is the first member not to sit at the defense table before taking the stand and it will be on everyone's minds how much she tries to distance herself from her family and the family business.

The siblings split their defense strategy in early March when Ivanka Trump, who had been using the same attorneys as her brothers, decided to hire her own personal attorney, Bennett Moskowitz. Moskowitz is her sole attorney and previously represented the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.

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Copied1d ago / 3:02 PM UTC

Ivanka Trump takes the stand

Kyla Guilfoil and Adam Reiss

Ivanka Trump is now on the stand to begin her testimony.

The 25th and last witness for the state, the former White House aide entered the courtroom smiling and wearing a black pantsuit and white shirt.

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Copied1d ago / 3:02 PM UTC

Ivanka Trump's apartment likely to come up during today's proceedings

Adam Reiss

Photographers captured Ivanka Trump coming out of her apartment at 502 Park Ave., the same building where Michael Cohen also lives. It is likely that the apartment will be brought up today to discuss her option to purchase it for $8 million when the company was valuing it for $25 million.

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Copied1d ago / 3:00 PM UTC

Trump posts ahead of his daughter's testimony

Annemarie Bonner

Ahead of his daughter's testimony in Manhattan, Trump posted on Truth Social, attacking James as a fraud and referring to Engoron as a "Trump Hating, out of control Clubhouse appointed Judge."

"It is Letitia James and the Judge who are Fraudulent for setting such LOW VALUATIONS in order to undermine and discredit my Financial Statements, thereby making me look bad — Election Interference," he wrote. "Now they are trying to bring Ivanka into the case, despite the Court of Appeals ruling that she cannot be charged. Sad!"

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Copied1d ago / 2:59 PM UTC

Highlights from Trump's testimony

Summer Concepcion

The former president testified Monday and quickly went off the rails in his answers, using his time on the stand to lash out at Engoron and James' office for what he said was their "unfair" treatment.

• Trump fumed about Kevin Wallace, the lawyer from James' office who was questioning him: "You and every other Democrat … coming after me from 15 different sides … all haters."
• Trump repeatedly blasted James from the stand, calling her a "political hack" and her office "haters."
• Trump sparred with Engoron from the stand after the judge scolded him for going off on tangents while answering questions. Trump said the judge would "rule against me because he will always rule against me." Engoron replied that Trump's statement wasn't true and again asked him to answer the question: "You can attack me all you want, but just answer the question," the judge said.
• After Trump continued going off topic, Engoron urged his lawyers to "control him," saying the trial was "not a political rally." At one point, after once again telling Trump's lawyers to rein in his answers and getting pushback, the judge raised his voice and told Trump attorney Alina Habba, "I am not here to hear what he has to say, now sit down!"
• Trump repeatedly downplayed the importance of his annual statements of financial condition and claimed he barely paid attention to them before suggesting that the statements were too conservative: "My net worth is financially more than what were on the financial statements. Therefore you have no case," he said.
• Trump said he relied on information from his accountants for his financial statements and "was not involved in any way," despite other witnesses, including former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and Trump's accountant Donald Bender, having testified otherwise.

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Copied1d ago / 2:57 PM UTC

Details from Ivanka Trump's deposition

Adam Reiss and Summer Concepcion

In her deposition in August last year, Ivanka Trump said she didn't recall an email she wrote that said: "My father will send you his most recent financial statement."

Similar to her brother Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump said in her deposition: "I mean, we have a huge business and we have assets and each one of them has tons of both projections and statements."

Asked whether she had any recollection of her father having personal financial statements, she replied: "Not especially."

Asked about generally having a recollection of her father's personal financial statements, she said: "I combine them all in my mind, like statements of the company and — so I — no, I mean not like specific to him."

Ivanka Trump also said she had "never prepared" a statement of financial condition. "I've never prepared one, I've never made one. I'm not an accountant," she said.

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Copied1d ago / 2:56 PM UTC

What comes next after Ivanka Trump's testimony?

Adam Reiss

We expect the direct exam to last most of the day and we may begin the cross which will go into tomorrow. On Monday, the defense will begin to present its case, which defense attorney Chris Kise says will last until Dec. 15.

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Copied1d ago / 2:50 PM UTC

Court much more relaxed than during Trump's testimony

Adam Reiss

The mood in the courtroom is much more relaxed today than it was Monday when the former president testified and the tension was high. The room is filling up but there are still a fair amount of seats available.

Prosecutors are here and James is in her seat in the front row. Prosecutor Louis Solomon will conduct the questioning of Ivanka Trump.

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Copied1d ago / 2:32 PM UTC

James says she expects Ivanka Trump to 'distance herself' from Trump Organization in her testimony

Summer Concepcion

In brief remarks to reporters before entering the courthouse, James said she expects Ivanka Trump to attempt to "distance herself" from the Trump Organization in her testimony, "but unfortunately the facts will reveal that, in fact, she was very much involved."

"We uncovered the scheme and she benefited from it personally," she said. "And Ms. Trump will do all that she can to try to separate herself from this corporation, but she's inextricably tied to the Trump Organization and to these properties, that she helped secure financing for."

"So you cannot hide from the truth and the facts will belie the truth and the evidence," James added. "And so we look forward to her testimony."

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Copied1d ago / 2:16 PM UTC

What to watch for in Ivanka Trump's testimony

Summer Concepcion

Although no longer a defendant, Ivanka Trump was an executive in the Trump Organization before she left the company to serve as a senior White House aide along with her husband, Jared Kushner.

Here's what to expect her to be asked about during her testimony today:

• The acquisition of loans during her time as a Trump Organization executive vice president.
• The role she and Deutsche Bank played in helping the family business secure a loan and lease for a luxury hotel in Washington, D.C., among other things.
• Other loans she was able to obtain for the Trump Organization, transactions that took place when she served as an executive, and the documentation that was used to attain low interest rates.

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Copied1d ago / 2:06 PM UTC

Highlights from the testimony of Trump's sons

Summer Concepcion and Laura Jarrett

Both Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. denied involvement in financial statements that James alleges had inflated assets of the Trump Organization during their testimony last week:

• Eric Trump denied involvement in the disputed financial statements submitted to banks and lenders despite emails and signatures on letters indicating his involvement that declare annual financial statements free of misstatements and fraud, which were also signed by his older brother, Trump Jr.
• Eric Trump pushed back on questions about his involvement in his father's financial statements, saying he ran day-to-day operations of the family business while his father was in office, and repeatedly said: "I pour concrete. I operate properties. I don't focus on appraisals."
• Trump Jr. testified that he did not "have anything to do" with the company's statements of financial condition, saying he "relied heavily" on accountants, such as the Trump Organization's former accountant Donald Bender, to compile the financial statements. Bender earlier in the trial had blamed inflated numbers in the financial statements he compiled on the information he received from the Trumps.

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Copied1d ago / 2:06 PM UTC

Ivanka Trump has arrived at the courthouse to protests

Kyla Guilfoil and Andy Weir

Ivanka Trump has arrived at the courthouse to give testimony today.

She did not speak to reporters on her way in. Some people nearby briefly chanted "crime family" but quickly dispersed after her arrival. There were no other protesters present during her arrival.

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Copied1d ago / 2:06 PM UTC

Ivanka Trump's testimony comes after court fight

Dareh Gregorian and Erica Byfield

Ivanka Trump's path to testifying today was a winding one.

Lawyers for the former Trump Organization executive and White House adviser had challenged her subpoena, arguing she should be spared from testifying because an appeals court ruled earlier this year that she be removed as a defendant in the case over statute-of-limitations issues.

The attorney general's office was trying "to continue to harass and burden President Trump's daughter long after" the appeals court "mandated she be dismissed from the case," her lawyers argued.

The attorney general's office countered that she still has information important to the case.

"While no longer a Defendant in this action, she indisputably has personal knowledge of facts relevant to the claims against the remaining individual and entity Defendants. But even beyond that, Ms. Trump remains financially and professionally intertwined with the Trump Organization and other Defendants and can be called as a person still under their control," the attorney general contended in a court filing.

Those connections included profits from the Trump Organization's former Washington, D.C. hotel, the office said.

"Ms. Trump remains under the control of the Trump Organization, including through her ongoing and substantial business ties to the organization," the AG argued, adding that 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 (hotel) 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. It is only when she is tasked with answering for that involvement that she disclaims any connection."

Engoron ruled late last month that Ivanka Trump should take the stand.

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