Judge Arthur Engoron ruled Friday that Ivanka Trump, the daughter of former president Donald Trump, must testify in the $250 million case.
Engoron said Friday she could not be called as a witness before Nov. 1, giving her time to appeal the ruling. Trump’s legal team had challenged New York Attorney General Letitia James’ subpoena to Ivanka Trump, saying her office was attempting “to continue to harass and burden President Trump’s daughter long after” the appeals court “mandated she be dismissed from the case.”
James’ office countered and said Ivanka Trump, a former White House official, still has information important to the case and needs to be heard from.
“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 AG contended in a court filing.
James’ office added they want to question Ivanka Trump about her father’s Washington, D.C. hotel, saying she personally benefitted from it.
Ivanka Trump’s siblings Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump along with Donald Trump are all expected to be testifying during the trial. Donald Trump has long maintained his innocence and has called the charges “a witch hunt”.
“Ms. Trump remains under the control of the Trump Organization, including through her ongoing and substantial business ties to the organization,” James’ office said. “It is only when she is tasked with answering for that involvement that she disclaims any connection.”
