According to Mediaite, former First Daughter Ivanka Trump faced a setback in her attempt to avoid testifying at former President Donald Trump’s fraud trial, as the appeals court dismissed her claims of “undue hardship.” Judge Arthur Engoron, presiding over the trial initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruled that Ivanka must appear in person for her testimony. Originally scheduled for this week, her testimony was rescheduled for next Wednesday, following the recent appearances of former co-First Sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. this week.
In her effort to evade testifying, Ivanka filed a motion for a stay to the New York Court of Appeals, arguing that her testimony would cause undue hardship due to her Florida residency with her three minor children. She claimed that being required to appear in New York during a school week, in a case from which she had already been dismissed, would be burdensome before her appeal was heard.
However, Attorney General James countered these claims, asserting that Ivanka Trump possessed firsthand knowledge crucial to the ongoing trial. James emphasized that delaying Ivanka’s testimony could disrupt the fair and orderly resolution of a trial that had been ongoing for nearly a month, with the Attorney General’s case nearing completion. She emphasized that Ivanka’s mere need to attend trial for a single day did not constitute a significant harm warranting emergency relief.
“Ms. Trump’s arguments are based on the false premise that witnesses with relevant, firsthand knowledge may be called to testify only if they are ‘a primary actor’ in the case,” James told the appeals court.
Ivanka Trump “has firsthand knowledge of issues that are central to the ongoing trial,” James wrote. “And staying her testimony may well serve to delay the fair and orderly resolution of a trial that has now been proceeding for over almost a month, in which OAG is nearing completion of its case in chief.”
James added: “Ms. Trump’s mere need to attend trial for a single day to testify truthfully is not itself a serious harm that warrants emergency relief.”
The motion for a stay was subsequently denied on Thursday night, although the underlying appeal remains active. This development marks a significant step forward in the case, with Ivanka Trump compelled to testify as the trial progresses.
