Ivanka Trump gives evidence in father’s fraud case

Ivanka Trump has taken the stand in a civil fraud case that threatens to strip her father and brothers of prized New York properties like Trump Tower.

A judge has already found Donald Trump and two adult sons, Eric and Donald Jr, liable for fraud, ruling they inflated assets to secure favourable loans.

Ivanka Trump, 42, was initially a co-defendant, too, until an appeals court ruling in her favour this year.

She fought hard to avoid testifying in this case.

Ms Trump had argued that she distanced herself from the Trump Organization and could not leave her children during a school week to give evidence.

But a New York judge and appeals court ruled she must take the stand.

Speaking softly into the microphone, Ms Trump began her testimony in New York Supreme Court in lower Manhattan on Wednesday morning.

Stakes are high for the Trump family in the non-jury trial, in which the judge will decide allegations of falsifying business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $250m (£204m) in fines and severe restrictions on how the Trump family conducts business in New York.

The prosecutor said on the courthouse steps on Wednesday morning that Ivanka Trump was “very much involved” in the family business.

Until 2017, Ms Trump was an executive vice-president of the Trump Organization alongside her brothers Donald Jr and Eric.

She was head of development and acquisitions, assisting with the types of real estate deals and loans at the heart of the attorney general’s case.

State attorneys argue Ms Trump took the lead on securing financing with Deutsche Bank for properties including Trump National Doral Miami, Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago and the Old Post Office in Washington DC.

The interest rates on the loans were low because they required a personal guarantee from Mr Trump and evidence of his liquidity and net worth.

Hence, state attorneys argue, Mr Trump’s annual financial statements were central to those loans and saved him more than $100m.

Ivanka Trump has maintained a low profile since the end of the Trump administration, moving to a Miami island enclave and staying out of her father’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Her testimony comes after a heated day in court on Monday when her father took the stand for over four hours.

He acknowledged that valuations for his real estate were not always accurate, but said the errors were not relevant to the financial institutions that used them to price deals.

Mr Trump, currently the Republican frontrunner for next year’s White House election, also argued that the attorney general and New York Judge Arthur Engoron, both Democrats, were politically motivated.

“This is a very unfair trial,” he said during trenchant testimony that drew rebukes from the judge.

Mr Trump has taken several times to his social media platform, Truth Social, to defend his children.

Hours before Ms Trump’s testimony, he said his “wonderful and beautiful daughter” was being unfairly dragged into the case.

In testimony last week, Eric and Donald Trump Jr distanced themselves from the company financial statements.

They said accountants and other executives were responsible for putting together the data.

Testimony occasionally turned tense for Eric Trump as state attorneys presented him with emails he had received from Trump Organization executives about the financial statements.

The trial is expected to last until mid-December.

The four Trump family members are the last witnesses to be called by the prosecution.