According to CNN, during the ongoing legal proceedings, Ivanka Trump was temporarily excused from the witness stand as Trump’s attorney, Chris Kise, raised objections regarding the relevance of certain pieces of evidence and the lines of questioning pertaining to prospective financing terms that had not been finalized. Kise also argued about the statute of limitations, emphasizing that much of the information being presented pertained to events prior to 2014.
It is common practice for a witness to be temporarily excused during prolonged discussions about admissible evidence, ensuring that the witness’s testimony remains unaffected by the legal arguments.
Despite the objections raised by the Trump team, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled in favor of the New York attorney general, allowing questions and evidence beyond the statute of limitations to be used for the purpose of establishing the context of the original loan. This ruling was based on the understanding that the loans in question required the submission of annual certified financial statements in the years following the loan transactions, falling within the statute of limitations.
Following the resolution of the legal arguments, Ivanka Trump returned to the witness stand. Judge Engoron addressed her, expressing his regret for the delay, to which Ivanka responded with laughter, indicating her understanding and acceptance of the situation. The lighthearted moment provided a brief respite in the midst of the serious and intense legal proceedings.
