Ivanka Trump must give evidence against her father Donald Trump in fraud case, judge rules
A judge has decided Ivanka Trump must testify in the civil fraud case against her father, brothers, and their family business.
Former president Donald Trump, his sons, the Trump Organization, and some executives, are facing a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Ms James is seeking at least $250m (£206m) in fines and a permanent ban against Mr Trump, Donald Jr and Eric, from running businesses in New York.
Ms Trump, 41, had previously been dismissed as a defendant in the case, but the judge ruled she must provide evidence despite objections from her lawyers and the defence.
Prosecutors believe her past role in the Trump Organization as executive vice president makes her testimony important to the case.
(L-R) Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. Pics: Reuters/AP
Judge Arthur Engoron supported the state’s argument by referring to documents that prove Ivanka Trump has connections to several businesses in New York and still owns apartments in Manhattan.
“Ms Trump has clearly availed herself of the privilege of doing business in New York,” Judge Engoron said, adding her testimony would not be scheduled before 1 November, to give her lawyers time to appeal.
Letitia James’ lawsuit claims Mr Trump inflated his wealth over several years in financial statements provided to banks, insurers, and others to secure loans and deals.
Ms James has accused Mr Trump of materially overvaluing assets, including his Trump Tower penthouse apartment in Manhattan, his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and various office towers and golf clubs, and inflated his own fortune by as much as $2.2bn (£1.82bn).
Ivanka Trump was one of her father’s advisers during his presidency
The defendants deny these accusations. Mr Trump, currently the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has dismissed the trial as a politically motivated “sham”.
The ex-president, 77, and his sons Donald Jr and Eric, are expected to testify at some point. In an unexpected preview, Mr Trump briefly took the witness stand on Wednesday to address Judge Engoron’s questions about an out-of-court remark.
Ms Trump’s lawyer argued on Friday that state lawyers lacked a legal basis to compel her testimony.
“At the end of the day, your honour, they just don’t have jurisdiction over her,” said lawyer Bennet Moskowitz.
Donald Trump and Ivanka in 2016
In June, a state appeals court dismissed the allegations against Ms Trump, arguing they were too old.
In January 2017, before her father’s inauguration, Ms Trump declared her departure from her role in the Trump Organization. She then served as an unpaid senior adviser in the Trump White House before relocating to Florida after her father’s term concluded.
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“The idea that somehow Ms Trump is under the control of the Trump Organization or any of the defendants, her father – anyone who has raised a daughter past the age of 13 knows that they’re not under their control,” said Christopher Kise, a lawyer for the ex-president.
Mr Kise added that state lawyers “just want another free-for-all on another of President Trump’s children”.
State lawyers contended Ivanka Trump played a significant role in certain events mentioned in the case. They asserted she continues to have financial and professional connections with the family business and its leaders.
US
Trump-backed North Carolina Republican Mark Robinson denies calling himself ‘black nazi’ on pornographic forum
A Republican backed by Donald Trump in his bid to be North Carolina’s governor denied reports he called himself a “black nazi” on an online message board.
CNN reported Thursday that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson posted racial and sexual comments on a pornography website more than a decade ago.
In a video posted on social media, the Republican nominee said he would not leave the race over “salacious tabloid lies”.
“We are staying in this race. We are in it to win it. And we know that with your help, we will.”
Follow the latest on the US election here
Mr Robinson also referenced the CNN report and said: “Let me reassure you the things that you will see in that story – those are not the words of Mark Robinson.
“You know my words. You know my character.”
The US outlet reported Mr Robson wrote of being aroused by a memory of “peeping” women in gym showers when he was 14.
He was also said to have used a racial slur when discussing civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, referred to himself as a “black nazi,” and said: “I’d take Hitler over any of the shit that’s in Washington right now.”
CNN said it matched details of the account on the pornographic website forum to other online accounts held by Robinson by comparing usernames, a known email address and his full name.
Sky News has not verified whether the account is linked to Mr Robinson.
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Eight minutes after the report was published on Thursday, vice president Kamala Harris’ campaign started sharing videos of Donald Trump praising Mr Robinson.
One video from the campaign on X shows the former president at a March rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he called the lieutenant governor “Martin Luther King times two”.
“I think you’re better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two,” Mr Trump said.
Scott Lassiter, a GOP Senate candidate in a swing district in the state, called on Mr Robinson to “suspend his campaign to allow a quality candidate to finish this race”.
Mr Trump’s campaign also appeared to be distancing itself from Mr Robinson.
The ex-president did not refer to the controversy when he addressed Jewish donors on Thursday night, instead vowing to be ‘the best friend Jewish Americans ever had”.
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