In the New York fraud trial against former US President Donald Trump, his daughter Ivanka yesterday distanced herself from important business dealings of the Trump Organization.
Ivanka Trump was questioned as a witness during the interrogation that lasted several hours about the former US president’s business practices.
According to US media reports, this mainly involved documents such as email histories, including with Deutsche Bank officials about loan terms. Ivanka Trump has repeatedly emphasized that she was not involved in certain business transactions that are central to the prosecutor’s allegations.
Accusation of value manipulation
In the civil case, prosecutors accuse Trump, his children and employees of manipulating the value of the Trump Organization for years to obtain cheaper loans and insurance contracts. Judge Arthur Engoron had already confirmed this before the trial.
The main focus of the process now is to determine possible penalties and various other charges.
The Attorney General of the State of New York, Letitia James, wants to ensure that Trump has to pay 250 million dollars (around 239 million euros) and will no longer be able to do business in New York. It’s unclear whether he will also have to give up properties like his famous Trump Tower in New York if convicted.
Now it’s the defense’s turn
The 77-year-old testified at a heated and sometimes chaotic meeting on Monday and repeatedly emphasized that the value of his properties was understated, but not inflated. However, he also openly admitted that he influenced financial reporting and sometimes contradicted himself.
Ivanka Trump was the prosecution’s last witness at the trial. Trump’s defense team is now expected to call several witnesses. A verdict is expected in December.