Ivanka Trump, daughter of former President Donald Trump, could play a pivotal role in her father’s New York business fraud case. Despite her efforts to distance herself from the legal proceedings, Ivanka finds herself in the position of a “fact witness” and may be compelled to testify against her father, according to legal analyst Joyce Vance.
The case centers around allegations that Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, and his sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, inflated the value of their real estate holdings to manipulate loans and enhance the former president’s net worth. Ivanka’s Manhattan penthouse has become a focal point of the investigation. Vance, writing in her Substack blog *Civil Discourse*, noted that Ivanka’s testimony about the alleged price manipulation of her penthouse could be detrimental to her father’s defense.
Vance explained that there has been testimony about the valuation of Ivanka Trump’s penthouse in her father’s Trump Park Avenue property. Although she is no longer a defendant, she remains a significant witness. The New York Attorney General, Letitia James, claims that Ivanka benefited from ‘insider’ pricing, where she had the option to buy the penthouse for $8.5 million, but the Trump Organization’s financial statements valued the unit at $20,820,000. This alleged “price manipulation” forms a core part of the lawsuit.
“Ivanka Trump may well have to choose between Daddy and perjury, which is why she’s fighting the subpoena,” Vance noted. If called to testify, Ivanka could face a difficult decision that might have severe consequences for her father. Vance pointed out that testifying shouldn’t be a challenging decision given Donald Trump’s history of sacrificing his closest allies to save himself.
As the trial unfolds, it appears that Ivanka Trump’s testimony could be a turning point, potentially posing a significant threat to the former president’s legal defense and his real estate empire. The case, which has far-reaching consequences, continues to draw attention not only for its potential impact on Donald Trump but also for the choices his daughter may have to make in the courtroom.