Summary

  • Ivanka Trump is testifying in a New York court as her father battles a civil fraud trial that threatens his vast real estate empire

  • Donald Trump is accused of inflating the value of properties by more than $2bn (£1.65bn) in order to secure favourable loans

  • Ivanka is not a co-defendant, but has been ordered to testify because she has ties to Trump businesses in New York

  • Prosecutors are challenging the 42-year-old on her knowledge of her father's businesses and his real net worth

  • The judge has already ruled Trump significantly inflated the value of his properties - this trial focuses on charges of falsification of business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy

  • A trial defeat could result in a $250m fine, a ban on Trump doing business in his home state, and losing control of iconic properties like Trump Tower

  • Donald Trump and his co-defendant sons, Eric and Don Jr, have denied all accusations

  1. 'You’re starting to sound like your client,' judge tells Donald Trump's lawyerpublished at 17:38 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Chloe Kim
    Reporting from court

    Ivanka Trump has returned to court and taken the stand once more, after stepping away while the judge and lawyers argued about the relevance of some of the prosecution's questioning.

    "Sorry to have kept you in the dark," the judge says to Ivanka as she returns.

    The judge also briefly pokes fun at Chris Kise - one of Donald Trump's lawyers .

    Kise had spoken about the Trump Organization’s remodel of the Old Post Office in Washington, DC, claiming the company turned a “hulking relic” into a “world-class facility”.

    “You’re starting to sound like your client,” Engoron said, a reference to the former president, who spent much of his testimony on Monday boasting about his real estate.

    Questioning has now resumed.

  2. Ivanka leaves courtroom as lawyers meet with judgepublished at 17:21 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Kayla Epstein
    Reporting from court

    Ivanka Trump has stepped out for a quick break.

    In her absence, the lawyers are arguing with the judge about whether some of the evidence being shown is outside the statute of limitations.

    Judge Engoron keeps overruling the Trump team's objections that they are. He's using the break to explain his reasoning - that deals done in the past carry significance for future financials.

    Chris Kise, Donald Trump's lawyer, disagrees.

    The prosecution also spells out their justifications for showing the documents leading up to the Deutsche Bank loans in this case.

    Lou Solomon - of the prosecution - says they're showing them as part of their case that the Trumps "induced Deutsche Bank to make loans they should not make at those rates".

  3. Sketch: A glimpse into Ivanka's testimonypublished at 17:16 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Louis Solomon of the New York attorney general's office questions Ivanka Trump on the witness stand during the Trump Organization civil fraud trial before Judge Arthur Engoron in New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., November 8, 2023 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane RosenbergImage source, Reuters/Jane Rosenberg

    No photographers have been allowed inside the courtroom today, likely because Ivanka Trump is not a co-defendant in the case.

    But we are now seeing the first court sketches from artist Jane Rosenberg.

    It shows Ivanka on the witness stand next to Judge Arthur Engoron, with Louis Solomon of the New York attorney general's office asking her questions.

    We usually see another court sketch from the afternoon session, and will share any further images as soon as we get them.

  4. Trump Organization got lower loan rate after meetingpublished at 17:15 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Chloe Kim
    Reporting from court

    The prosecution are now showing an email between Rosemary Vrablic - a former Deutsche Bank managing director - and Ivanka Trump. It's about a Trump property in Chicago.

    It reveals revised pricing for lower interest rates following a meeting. (It's not specified if the meeting was between Vrablic and Ivanka.)

    The email shows Ivanka writing "you are the best", and later: "We all appreciate it".

    When asked about the exchange, Ivanka says she does not recall - but acknowledges she can see on the email where this is said.

  5. What we've learnt so farpublished at 17:02 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Chloe Kim
    Reporting from court

    Ivanka Trump walks the hallway of the New York State Supreme CourtImage source, Reuters

    It's been almost two hours since Donald Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka, started giving evidence in a New York court - where her father is battling a civil fraud trial that threatens his vast real estate empire.

    If you're just joining us, or need a recap, here's what we've learnt so far:

    • Ivanka Trump has remained composed in court, unlike her father's combative testimony, and smiles more often than other witnesses in the trial
    • She says she joined the "family business" and cut her teeth on "various elements of the business"
    • She has repeatedly told the court she does not recall, when asked questions about specific documents
    • The state has shown her emails about the Doral property - in which she told Beal Bank she would send over her father's most recent financial statement and in another email that "it doesn't get better than this" about a golf course loan
    • Donald Trump and his son Donald Jr and Eric are co-defendants in this trial - Ivanka is not a co-defendant
  6. On to Chicago properties after a short breakpublished at 16:51 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    We're back from a short break and the prosecutors are turning to term sheets for financing for the Trump Hotel in Chicago, which had both a hotel and commercial component.

    Ivanka Trump is on the stand.

  7. Ivanka can't 'recall' working on key finance documentspublished at 16:39 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Kayla Epstein
    Reporting from court

    Ivanka Trump walks down the hallway as she attends the Trump Organization civil fraud trialImage source, Reuters

    Lou Solomon of the attorney general's office has led Ivanka Trump through a series of questions aimed at determining whether she had involvement with her father's statements of financial conditions - the balance sheets at the heart of the case.

    Ivanka once again refers to her earlier testimony to prosecutors rather than actual memories. She replied that she assumed he would have such documents but didn't recall working on them.

    Eventually Judge Engoron prods the prosecutors to be more specific about which financial documents they're discussing.

    Did you have any roles in preparing Donald J Trump's statements of financial condition? Solomon asks.

    "Not that I'm aware of," she replies.

    Did she ever rely on the valuations reflected on the statements of financial condition?

    "Not that I'm aware of."

    Did you ever review any of Donald J Trump's statements of financial condition before they were finalised? Solomon asks.

    "I don’t recall," she says.

  8. Trump and his net worth in questionpublished at 16:25 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Kayla Epstein
    Reporting from court

    We're still going over the terms of the Deutsche Bank loan to the Trumps for their Doral golf course and the emails that went back and forth at the Trump Organization about it.

    The bank had proposed a covenant that required Donald Trump to maintain a minimum net worth of $3bn (£2.4bn) to get the loan.

    Prosecutors are showing emails from within the Trump Organization, that Ivanka Trump was involved in, discussing what net worth terms they could accept.

    One Trump Organization lawyer voiced a concern that the $3bn number was a "problem".

    The prosecution's Lou Solomon asks whether Ivanka was aware that Trump's 2011 statements of financial condition said he was worth $4bn.

    She responds, no.

    The Trump Organization ultimately proposed a $2bn net worth covenant; the final loan turned out to hold Donald Trump to $2.5bn.

  9. A constant theme in Ivanka's testimonypublished at 16:20 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Chloe Kim
    Reporting from court

    Ivanka Trump has been shown multiple documents and emails.

    She has used a few variations of answers - either she does not recall, or "it appears so".

    Sometimes Ivanka mentions she recalls the state showing her these documents in previous meetings.

    Judge Engoron at one point says: "That could have been a simple yes".

    Ivanka has also been asking to read the documents more than other witnesses were.

    The prosecution has asked her if she has any reason to doubt the accuracy of the presented documents and emails. For the most part, she has said no.

  10. Ivanka Trump shown golf course loan proposalpublished at 16:10 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Kayla Epstein
    Reporting from court

    Lou Solomon of the attorney general's office is now showing a 2011 document with proposed terms of a loan from Deutsche Bank for the Doral golf course project in Florida.

    The Trumps were seeking a personal wealth management loan, which comes with more favourable rates than commercial real estate loans.

    The document states that Donald Trump is the guarantor for the proposed loan, and and that he had to maintain a minimum net worth.

    Prosecutors then show an email from Ivanka Trump to then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg and others about the loan rates.

    She wrote: "It doesn't get better than this".

    Ivanka tells the court that she did not specifically recall writing or sending that email.

    Under questioning, she also said she didn't recall the proposal, or whether she thought it was good.

  11. How defence lawyers are reacting to Ivanka's testimonypublished at 15:50 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Chloe Kim
    Reporting from court

    Former US President Donald Trump lawyer Alina Habba attends attends the Trump Organization civil fraud triaImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Alina Habba, Donald Trump's lawyer, arriving at court earlier

    Defence attorney Alina Habba has not yet spoken in the trial today, but her counterpart Christopher Kise has.

    He has objected a couple of times to documents being submitted into evidence brought up by the state - citing statute of limitations and relevance, but Judge Engoron has overruled the objection.

    Attorney General Letitia James is sitting up front in her usual spot.

  12. How is Ivanka presenting while on the stand?published at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Chloe Kim
    Reporting from court

    Ivanka Trump is speaking in hushed tones.

    She seems to be choosing her words quite carefully - answering, for the most part, slowly and thoughtfully. She has punctuated some of her answers with a smile.

    She is sitting upright with hands in her lap - looking attentively at whoever is speaking or at presented documents.

    It's a marked difference from her father's testimony on Monday, when the former president was combative with the judge and prosecution team.

  13. Donald Trump's financial statements and a Miami golf coursepublished at 15:34 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Kayla Epstein
    Reporting from court

    Prosecutors just showed Ivanka Trump a 2011 email she wrote to a person named Andy Beal of Beal Bank, with the subject line “Doral" - the golf club that Donald Trump built near Miami.

    Ivanka acknowledged a few minutes ago she was very involved in the project.

    She writes in the email that "my father" will send you "his most recent financial statement" by mail.

    It's likely prosecutors are trying to show she had knowledge of the statements of financial condition. These are documents they allege were fraudulently inflated to secure more favourable loans.

    But Ivanka said the conversations were "brief" and did not proceed too far. She couldn't remember if Beal had requested her father's financial documents.

  14. Ivanka doesn't recall emailspublished at 15:29 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Kayla Epstein
    Reporting from court

    As they did with her brothers, the attorney general's office is showing Ivanka a series of emails meant to bolster their case. They ask if she recognises them.

    Her responses so far have been variations on "I don't recall" this email, or that she only recognises them because prosecutors showed them to her a year ago.

    It's a variation on Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump's defence that they could not recall being involved with the matters under scrutiny by the AG's office.

  15. What has Ivanka’s family said so far?published at 15:23 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    While early background questioning continues, let's take a look at what Ivanka's father, her older brother Donald Trump Jr and her younger brother Eric Trump have said in their testimonies.

    All three of the Trump men employed similar tactics when taking the stand.

    Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump both shifted blame for company financial statements, maintaining that they looked to - and trusted - their internal and external accountants to complete them.

    Their father followed suit on Monday.

    “All I did was authorise and give people whatever was necessary for the accountants to do the statement,” Trump said.

    If pressed on her family members’ involvements in company financial statements, Ivanka Trump could potentially make a similar argument.

  16. Ivanka is speaking very softlypublished at 15:14 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Kayla Epstein
    Reporting from court

    Ivanka is speaking in a very soft voice that is, frankly, difficult to hear in the courtroom.

    Judge Engoron has asked her a couple times to lean closer to the microphone and speak up, but she has continued in her quiet monotone.

  17. Ivanka starts off explaining how she rose through the ranks of family businesspublished at 15:12 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Kayla Epstein
    Reporting from court

    The prosecution starts with some easy questions, asking Ivanka Trump to recap her work history in regards to the Trump Organization.

    She says that she briefly worked for a prominent New York City developer before joining "our family business".

    She says she "cut my teeth on various elements of the business”.

    She rose through the company as she "proved myself... and was given more responsibilities”.

    Ivanka eventually became an executive vice president like her brothers Eric and Don Jr, but left the Trump Organization role in 2017 when she joined her father in the White House.

  18. The personal stakes for Ivankapublished at 15:09 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Kayla Epstein
    Reporting from court

    Ivanka Trump attends the Trump Organization civil fraud trial, in the New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New YorkImage source, Reuters

    Two weeks ago, Ivanka Trump was photographed striding into Kim Kardashian's birthday party in Beverly Hills.

    Today, cameras snapped her arriving at a Manhattan courthouse to testify in her father's business fraud trial.

    The two settings present a vivid split-screen of the lives of Ms Trump: the one she had before her father became president and to which she has attempted to return, and the thorny reality she now inhabits.

    The 42-year-old has spent the years since Donald Trump left the White House publicly distancing herself from her father's orbit. She has said she does "not plan to be involved in politics".

    Now, she finds herself dragged back into the family circus.

    The personal and professional stakes are high for her.

    "There's no way that she walks out of this trial further distanced from the controversies surrounding her father, Dan Alexander, a Forbes editor told BBC.

    "It's going to be an uncomfortable place for her, and I don't think that reputationally, it's the direction that she wants to go."

    You can read our full analysis of Ivanka's post-presidency journey here.

  19. Ivanka, fashionably late, takes the standpublished at 15:02 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Chloe Kim
    Reporting from court

    Ivanka Trump has just been sworn in and is beginning her testimony.

  20. Ivanka called to the standpublished at 15:00 Greenwich Mean Time 8 November 2023

    Chloe Kim
    Reporting from court

    The state has just called Ivanka Trump to the witness stand - who is not yet present in the courtroom.

    Judge Engoron jokes: "Who is she?"