By The opinion
08 Nov 2023, 1:57 PM EST
Ivanka Trump, daughter of former President Donald Trump, testifies in a New York court, as part of her father’s trial for fraud.
The former president’s daughter, who was his advisor in the White House, has until now denied having had any knowledge about the value of the properties.
When asked if he had done any work in the business since 2017, he stated that he had not.
“I don’t think so, no,” he said.
That question is important, since the investigation led by prosecutor Letitia James also covers that year.
The civil trial is to determine the punishment against former President Trump, his sons Eric and Donald Jr., as well as several employees of the Trump Organization for manipulating the value of various properties, in order to obtain tax benefits, insurance and bank loans.
A few weeks ago, Judge Arthur Engoron determined that the defendants committed fraud, but the civil trial is now to determine whether they must pay $250 million to compensate for the damage.
Trump has accused that this case, whose investigation began in 2019, is a “witch hunt” led by Attorney General James.
The former president’s statements during the judicial process have forced Judge Engoron to impose prohibitions on public comments and offenses against the prosecutor and other court officials.