Ivanka Trump testified in a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday as New York State’s final witness in the blockbuster trial in which her ex-president father, Donald Trump, and brothers Don Jr. and Eric — as well as the Trump Organization — stand accused of a decade-long fraud scheme.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron ruled after the court lunch break that emails between Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner can be considered evidence.
Trump defense attorney Christopher Kise had earlier objected to the former first daughter being asked about the email chain, citing “spousal privilege.”
Earlier, as a lawyer with New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office called Ivanka to the stand, the judge joked “Who’s she?” with a deadpan expression.
AG James watched from the front row gallery, where she has sat each day of trial since it began in early October.
The former president of the United States testified Monday in the $250 million civil case.
Trump lost his cool on the witness stand, yelling and attacking judge Engoron and James as he testified in his own defense, saying they were “trying to hurt” him.
Just before her testimony ended at around 4:20 p.m., Ivanka was asked to reflect on her time at the Trump Organization, which she left in 2017 to go work for her dad in the White House.
“I feel incredibly proud of the work I did at the Trump Hotel and these two redevelopments specifically,” the mom of three replied, referring to the Washington DC hotel and the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami.
Ivanka Trump said that her efforts “took a lot of vision and hard work.” REUTERS
She said that her efforts “took a lot of vision and hard work.”
“They were hard projects but we delivered on every metric,” she added.
Earlier, when Ivanka was being grilled by the AG's office lawyer, she confirmed that she received $4 million from the sale of the Trump Hotel in Washington DC in May 2022.
Ivanka and her brothers each owned 7.5 % of the property, known as the Old Post Office building, and their dad had owned the rest, 77.5%.
AG attorney Louis Solomon asked Ivanka around how much she made from the sale, and she replied that she did not recall the "exact" amount.
Solomon then produced a document showing that the former first daughter received $4 million from the deal.
“That’s consistent with my recollection,” Ivanka then said.
Ivanka testified that her dad had a "deep and nostalgic love" for the Doral golf club, which contributed to his choice to buy the property in 2012.
"My father had deep and nostalgic love" for the Miami golf course going back years before they acquired it, she said during questioning by her father's lawyers.
Ivanka Trump is shown multiple exhibits on the witness stand during the Trump Organization civil fraud trial. REUTERS
She said her dad told her that he took Ivanka's mom, Ivana Trump, to the resort -- eventually named Trump National Doral Golf Club -- and that it had a wonderful spa.
Family portrait of, from left, socialite Ivana Trump, her son Eric Trump, her former husband businessman Donald Trump, and her daughter Ivanka Trump as they sit at a table at the Mar-a-Lago estate, Palm Beach, Florida in 1998. Getty Images
"Between him being there with his father on the golf course, and me being there as a small child ... he had a lot of sentimental affection for the property and a strong feeling that it wasn't living up to its potential."
Ivanka added that the former president had "a particular affinity for golf."
Ivanka Trump courtroom sketch. REUTERS
The former first daughter said Deutsche Bank was excited to help finance the Trump Org in acquiring the property and noted that Trump had originally considered buying it with cash.
Donald Trump's lawyers began questioning Ivanka Trump after the state finished its grilling of the former first daughter.
Ivanka Trump exits a Manhattan courtroom after giving testimony Wednesday in the civil fraud suit against her father, two brothers and the Trump Organization, in which they're accused of illegally inflating the values of their properties. Stephen Yang
Trump lawyer Jesus Suarez has begun cross-examination of Ivanka after about three hours of direct testimony.
The court was shown an email exchange between Ivanka and Jared Kushner from June 17, 2013, in which she asked her husband's advice about a financing deal for a development project.
“My husband is also in real estate, and we have respect for each other," Ivanka said when asked about the emails by AG lawyer Louis Solomon.
“It was not uncommon that I would ask my husband’s perspective on something I was working on,” she said.
The court was shown an email exchange between Ivanka and Jared Kushner from June 17, 2013, in which she asked her husband's advice about a financing deal for a development project. AFP via Getty Images
The emails were about a loan Ivanka was trying to secure to convert the Old Post Office building in Washington, DC, into a hotel.
Kushner in one email says, "you can get better pricing."
Ivanka then asks another Trump Org employee to "send Jared the latest."
She asks her hubby in another email whether she should hire someone and eventually tells Kushner, "I made the below deal with him."
A polished Ivanka Trump begrudgingly showed up to a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday to answer questions about her dad’s business dealings — which she calmly claimed to have nothing to do with despite her role in helping him secure financing on several properties.
The former first daughter, who lives in Miami, Fla., unsuccessfully tried to get out of testifying at the $250 million fraud case against her ex-president father and brothers Don Jr. and Eric — but ultimately was forced to show up in person to Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday morning.
When a state lawyer called the mother of three to the witness stand, Justice Arthur Engoron dryly joked, “Who is she?”
Ivanka Trump arrives in court Wednesday to testify in the New York State civil fraud case against her father, two brothers and the Trump Organization. Steven Hirsch
“I’m not involved. I didn’t know anything about it,” Ivanka, 41, said when asked about Donald Trump’s “statements of financial condition.”
Ivanka — the last witness to be called by New York Attorney General Letitia James — arrived to the 60 Centre St. courthouse about an hour early, wearing a navy outfit including an overcoat, a pants suit, pumps and clutching a leather Chanel handbag.
After the lunch break, Judge Arthur Engoron rejected Trump lawyer Christopher Kise's "spousal privilege" argument and allowed emails between Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner to be admitted into trial.
"It's not privileged. Let's get the witness," Engoron said, before Ivanka continued her testimony.
The judge found since the missives were from Ivanka's work emails and others could view them, she had waived any right to confidentiality.
Trial broke for lunch right after Trump's lawyer Christopher Kise asked a judge to block an email chain between Ivanka and husband Jared Kushner from coming in, citing "spousal privilege."
Kise objected to Ivanka being questioned about her email communications with Kushner discussing a Trump Org. loan.
Trump's lawyer Christopher Kise asked a judge to block an email chain between Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner from coming in. ZUMAPRESS.com
But AG lawyer Louis Solomon said the emails should be fair game and shot down the "spousal privilege" card saying that others were on the email thread. Solomon also noted that his office only had the emails because Trump's side turned them over.
Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner. Getty Images
Judge Engoron said he'd think about the objection and rule on it when they return from the lunch break at 2:15 p.m.
Judge Arthur Engoron fired off another deadpan joke that Trump lawyer Christopher Kise is "starting to sound like" his client, the former president.
During an objection -- when Ivanka was asked to briefly step off the stand — Kise said, "They were thrilled with the renovation and it was a world-class facility."
“You're starting to sound like your client,” Engoron quipped.
Judge Arthur Engoron (sketched above) joked that Trump lawyer Christopher Kise is "starting to sound like" his client, the former president. REUTERS
A courtroom sketch from Monday: Former President Donald Trump is questioned by Kevin Wallace of the New York Attorney General's Office (right), as defense lawyer Christopher Kise (left) objects, before Judge Arthur Engoron in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan. REUTERS
The exchange came as Kise was arguing that AG lawyer Louis Solomon shouldn't be allowed to question Ivanka about a deal to convert the Old Post Office in DC into a hotel -- claiming the inquiry was irrelevant and also outside the statute of limitations.
Kise said the deal was embraced by the government agency involved in the negotiations.
Ivanka was outside the room for roughly 10 minutes during the back-and-forth.
Trial evidence unveiled today showed that Ivanka bragged to colleagues that “it doesn’t get any better than this” when discussing the terms of a loan offered by Deutsche Bank.
AG lawyer Louis Solomon pulled up the 2011 email -- which had a subject line referencing a “Project Eagle" -- after Ivanka claimed to “not recall” whether she considered the offer a “great proposal.”
Trial evidence unveiled today showed that Ivanka bragged to colleagues that “it doesn’t get any better than this” when discussing the terms of a loan offered by Deutsche Bank. REUTERS
Solomon then pulled up an email of Ivanka bragging to others at the Trump Organization that “it doesn’t get better than this,” and “let’s discuss asap.”
He then asked her again about whether it was a good deal.
“Well, we ended up doing the deal with Deutsche Bank,” Ivanka replied. “Yes, I thought generally the deal terms with Deutsche Bank were positive and we proceeded forward.”
AG lawyer Louis Solomon pulled up the 2011 email -- which had a subject line referencing a “Project Eagle" -- after Ivanka claimed to “not recall” whether she considered the offer a “great proposal.” REUTERS
The email exchange came as Ivanka was trying to secure financing for the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami.
Court filings show Ivanka helped secure financing for the golf club, as well as for properties in Chicago and a Washington, DC, hotel, during her time as a Trump Org executive.
Ivanka Trump's day in court started off very differently than that of her dad and two brothers — primarily because she wasn't forced to sit for photographers at the defense table — after being dismissed from the case.
Ivanka was let off the case in June with an appeals court finding the allegations against her were outside of the statute of limitations -- therefore she was only appearing for testimony as a witness rather than a defendant.
Ivanka Trump's day in court Wednesday started off very differently than that of her dad and two brothers — primarily because she wasn't forced to sit for photographers at the defense table. John Nacion/Shutterstock
Former president Donald Trump testified in the case on Monday. AP
Her brothers Don Jr. and Eric and the former president all had to sit at the defense table to be photographed before taking the witness stand.
Ivanka's testimony has also been much less combative than the former president and Eric's testimony were. For example on Monday, Trump started yelling at one point on the stand claiming that the judge and AG were frauds.
Don Jr. was also less aggressive than his father and brother were taking a lighter tact of firing off jokes throughout testimony.