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(BALTIMORE) — Former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby was found guilty on Thursday of two counts of perjury by a federal jury in Maryland.
Mosby, who was Baltimore’s highest-ranking prosecutor from 2015 to earlier this year, was found guilty after she falsely claimed she was suffering from “financial hardship” because of the pandemic and obtained federal funds illegally.
She used the money for down payments on two vacation homes in Florida, according to the Justice Department.
Jurors began to deliberate on Thursday after opening statements on Monday. Mosby did not testify during the trial.
A lawyer for Mosby did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Mosby was known for charging the six police officers involved in the Freddy Gray case, a Black man who died while in police custody in 2015. The officers were later either acquitted or their trials were declared a mistrial.
The DOJ said Mosby submitted COVID-19 related distribution requests for withdrawals of $40,000 and $50,000 respectively.
The indictment, filed in January of 2022, says that Mosby falsely certified that she met at least one of the qualifications for distribution as defined under the CARES Act, specifically, that she experienced adverse financial consequences from the Coronavirus as a result of being quarantined, furloughed, or laid off; having reduced work hours; being unable to work due to lack of childcare; or the closing or reduction of hours of a business she owned or operated. In signing the forms, Mosby “affirm[ed] under penalties for perjury the statements and acknowledgments made in this request,” according to the indictment.
The indictment says that Mosby did not experience any such financial hardships and in fact, Mosby received her full gross salary of $247,955.58 from January 1, 2020, through December 29, 2020, in bi-weekly gross pay direct deposits of $9,183.54.
(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.) — Authorities from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday night they currently do not have enough evidence to make an arrest in the death of a Jewish protester in Southern California.
Paul Kessler, 69, died early Monday morning from blunt-force head trauma following a Sunday confrontation with a counter-protester in Thousand Oaks, California, according to authorities. His death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner.
In a lengthy statement released Thursday evening, the sheriff’s office said the findings of the autopsy have been “misinterpreted by many.”
Homicide means Kessler’s death was caused at the hands of another but “does not provide sufficient evidence to establish probable cause for an immediate arrest of a suspect,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.
Investigators have photos and videos from before and after the incident, in which Kessler fell backward and hit his head, authorities said. However, the sheriff’s office said it does not have any footage of the actual incident taking place, “which would be extremely helpful in this case and would undoubtedly show or could even refute criminal culpability,” the release read.
Eyewitness statements from those present when the altercation took place conflict with one another, the sheriff’s department said, making it difficult for the authorities to prove the suspect’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Multiple people called 911 to report an incident of battery on Sunday afternoon, including the person authorities have called the suspect in the incident — a 50-year-old Moorpark resident who was attending the pro-Palestinian demonstration — Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said Tuesday.
Fryhoff said the suspect remained at the scene and was interviewed.
“Our investigators are working around the clock to track down leads, scrutinize electronic data, and corroborate witness statements,” the sheriff’s office said.
(WASHINGTON) — The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a New Jersey man wanted in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, authorities said.
The FBI said Wednesday its Newark SWAT team is searching for the suspect, identified as Gregory Yetman, in Helmetta, a borough in Middlesex County.
The Jamesburg Police Department, New Jersey State Police, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and others are also involved in the search, the FBI said.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Yetman in D.C. District Court on Monday after he was charged with multiple offenses in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, the FBI said.
According to an FBI wanted poster, Yetman is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; and act of physical violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings.
The FBI released a photo allegedly showing Yetman at the Capitol Building on Jan. 6.
At the time of the Capitol attack, Yetman was a military police sergeant in the New Jersey Army National Guard, a spokesperson for the New Jersey National Guard confirmed to ABC News. He served in the New Jersey Army National Guard for approximately 12 years and was honorably discharged in March 2022, according to the spokesperson.
The FBI said the public should expect to see an “increased law enforcement presence” around Helmatta amid the active search.
Helmetta Mayor Christopher Slavicek urged residents to “remain cautious.”
“Law enforcement agencies remain diligent in keeping all residents safe. This includes road closures limiting access to the Borough and shelter in place recommendations,” he said in a statement on social media. “Please abide by Police orders for the safety of all.”
More than 1,202 people have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, according to the Department of Justice.
ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
(MONTGOMERY, Ala.) — The Alabama riverboat dock worker who was involved in a brawl that went viral on social media has now been charged with assault, according to Montgomery Municipal Court records.
Dameion Pickett is due for arraignment on the misdemeanor charge on Nov. 21. It is unclear if Pickett, who was formally charged Oct. 27, has retained an attorney.
Pickett was initially identified by the Montgomery Police Department as a victim in an altercation that led to a massive brawl on Aug. 5 at Riverfront Park in Montgomery, Alabama, which began over a dispute about a pontoon boat that was blocking a space designated for a riverboat.
According to court records reviewed by ABC News, the complainant is Zachery Shipman, one of the individuals who was initially charged in the incident.
The altercation initially led to charges against five individuals, while Pickett and a 16-year-old boy were identified as victims by police.
Richard Roberts was charged with two counts of assault in the third degree, court records show. Meanwhile, Shipman, Allen Todd and Mary Todd were all charged with assault in the third degree. All have pleaded not guilty.
ABC News has reached out to the suspects and their attorneys, but requests for comment were not returned.
A fifth arrest was made days later when Reggie Ray, a Black man who was seen attacking someone with a beach chair in a viral video, was charged with disorderly conduct. He also pleaded not guilty.
Ray’s attorney, Lee Merritt, told ABC News in September that his client had a “limited role” in the brawl and was “involuntarily roped into the disorderly conduct initiated by a violent white mob.”
Asked if there’s any evidence of a hate crime, Albert said that police “looked at every avenue” and left “no stone unturned” but “were unable to present any insight in a riot or racially biased charges at this time.”
ABC News has reached out to the Montgomery Police Department for comment about the charges against Pickett.
Montgomery Police Department Chief Darryl Albert identified Pickett and an unnamed 16-year-old white male who was allegedly struck by the owners and operators of the private boat as victims in this case during a press conference on Aug. 7.
Pickett spoke out about the incident in an exclusive interview with “Good Morning America” that aired on Sept. 25 and said that he was “just in shock” when he was assaulted.
As the Harriott II was ending a dinner cruise and getting ready to dock, a private pontoon boat was illegally parked in its place, preventing the riverboat from docking safely, according to Pickett.
Pickett and witnesses aboard the Harriott II who spoke with ABC News said crew members made several attempts to ask the owner of the pontoon boat to move it, but their calls were ignored.
“Everybody was yelling, “Could y’all move y’all boat?” Pickett said.
It was then that Pickett said he got off the riverboat “by the captain’s orders” and went to move the pontoon boat himself.
“I was, like, ‘I’m just doing my job,” said.
Moments after Pickett moved the boat, videos show that he was confronted and punched by a man and, soon after, others attacked Pickett and were later identified by police as a boat owner and his family.
Pickett said that after he was assaulted, he had to defend himself.
“This man just put his hand on me. I was, like … it’s my job, but I’m still defending myself at the same time. So when he touched me, I was, like, ‘It’s on,'” Pickett said.
(MAUI, Hawaii) — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announced a new recovery fund as part of the One ‘Ohana Initiative, which will set aside more than $150 million for the victims of the Maui wildfires that began on Aug. 8.
The families of those who were killed by the blazes, as well as those who “suffered severe personal injuries” could receive more than $1 million each. At least 99 people have been confirmed to have died in the tragedy.
“Our message is clear — in Hawaii, during difficult times, we come together to help one another, and right now we are coming together to help those who have suffered the most,” the governor said.
He added, “Over time, the fund will also be used to help families in West Maui recover from the disaster in other ways, including rebuilding homes they have lost.”
State Attorney General Anne Lopez told ABC News that those participating in the fund would be required to waive their right to seek tort liability against parties involved in the fund for wrongful death and severe personal injury.
“The protocol would require people to sign the release releasing the parties who are participating in the fund from any tort liability,” Lopez said in a statement. “We are still working on finalizing the protocol, but once the protocol is finished, we will be able to share that.”
After the recovery fund helps victims’ families and those who’ve been injured, the next phase of the initiative will focus on property owners and businesses that were severely impacted by the wildfires. Green said to expect “a comprehensive legislative package” to protect consumers from increased energy bills as a result of the fire — which has put significant strain on the island’s delicate electric grid.
With thousands of residential structures destroyed and thousands more residents displaced and unemployed, the financial and emotional impact on locals has become increasingly dire.
The first phase of beneficiaries who apply for the fund could receive their money as early as the second quarter of next year after an administrator is selected and a protocol is finalized.
“The settlements will allow those who have already endured such tragedy, to begin healing more quickly,” the governor said.
The creation of the recovery fund is inspired by funds set up following other catastrophic tragedies, including the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Boston Marathon Bombing and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“Our hope is that those families who choose to engage in this process can find a healing path to closure,” said Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen.
(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department on Wednesday charged 10 men suspected to be members of the Gambino crime family with allegedly shaking down business owners, assaulting members of the public, arson and embezzling from unions.
Federal prosecutors allege the men began extorting a carting and hauling company in the New York City area as early as 2017 and a separate demolition company.
The defendants are Joseph Lanni, also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino,” an alleged captain in the Gambino organized crime family, Diego “Danny” Tantillo, Angelo Gradilone, also known as “Fifi,” James LaForte, alleged Gambino soldiers, Vito Rappa, alleged U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia member and Gambino associate, Francesco Vicari, also known as “Uncle Ciccio,” alleged U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia associate and Gambino associate, Salvatore DiLorenzo, Robert Brooke, Kyle Johnson, also known as “Twin,” and Vincent Minsquero, also known as “Vinny Slick,” an alleged Gambino associate.
The Gambino crime family, is, according to the Justice Department, a member of Italian organized crime, known as “La Costa Nostra.”
“These extortions involved lighting the steps of John Doe 1’s home on fire, attempts to damage John Doe 1’s carting trucks, the violent assault—with a hammer—of an employee at Demolition Company 1, and the violent assault of one of the owners of Demolition Company 1,” a detention memo filed on Wednesday read.
In one instance, Tantillo, a captain in the Gambino crime family, showed up to the carting and hauling company’s office with a baseball bat and demanded $1,000, according to court documents.
“Tantillo showed John Doe 1 a metal baseball bat and told John Doe 1 the baseball bat was for him,” according to the court documents.
“After John Doe 1 attempted to stop making extortionate payments, the defendants took increasingly violent action, and enlisted defendant Kyle Johnson, a close associate of Tantillo and other Gambino crime family members, to assist them in those efforts,” according to the court documents.
That included setting ablaze John Doe 1’s home while his wife and kids were inside, according to DOJ.
After the alleged arson was committed, two other alleged Gambino associates, Vito Rappa and Franceso Vacari, threatened his associate to make payments to the family, according to the DOJ.
Vacari allegedly acted like “the Last Samurai” while they were shaking down the associate, according to a wiretapped phone call.
“Rappa described how Vicari picked up a knife and directed John Doe 1’s associate to threaten to cut John Doe 1 in half in order to get John Doe 1 to make extortionate payments. ‘Get this axe and you make him – two,'” the court documents allege.
After the alleged incident, John Doe 1′ s company resumed making payments and Vacari took a photo toasting the payments, according to the DOJ.
In another instance, the men allegedly demanded $40,000 from a demolition company. When they didn’t get the money, Robert Brooke was enlisted to beat up the owner on the corner of a Brooklyn street, the documents allege.
The men are also charged with witness intimidation.
“In February 2021, LaForte and Minsquero assaulted a person (John Doe 6), who they believed had previously provided information to law enforcement about members and associates of organized crime, while Lanni sat nearby,” according to the documents. “LaForte called John Doe 6 a “rat” and hit John Doe 6 in the face with a bottle. LaForte and Minsquero also flipped John Doe 6’s table, sending drinks and shattered glass everywhere. John Doe 6 suffered a bloody nose from being hit with the bottle by LaForte.”
While they are not charged for it, Lanni and Minsquero also allegedly caused a disturbance at a bar in Tom’s River, New Jersey on Sept. 1, 2023.
“While being escorted out of the restaurant, both Lanni and Minsquero became belligerent,” according to the documents. “Minsquero damaged a painting and punched a wall, and Lanni told the owner, in substance, that he would ‘burn this place down with you in it.'”
Lanni referred to himself as a “Gambino” around this time.”
Nearby surveillance footage allegedly shows Lanni buying a gas container and attempting to fill it at gas station, and while he did not go through with it, the Justice Department says they returned later.
Lanni allegedly called the bar 39 times and told the owner he was going to make him “beg for forgiveness.”
As the owner of the bar got into his car with his wife, “a man got into the front passenger door of the Owner’s car, punched the Owner in the head, put a knife to the Owner’s neck, and threatened to kill the Owner,” according to the documents.
“The Spouse ran to help the Owner and was punched and knocked to the ground by a second man. Both perpetrators then beat the Spouse while the Spouse was on the ground. The man with the knife slashed the Owner’s tires with the knife and pointed the knife at the Spouse before leaving on foot,” the documents say.
Lawyers for the men weren’t immediately available to comment.
(SPOKANE, Wash.) — Authorities in at least two states are investigating a spate of suspicious envelopes sent to election offices this week in what one state official called an act of “domestic terrorism.”
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said in a statement Thursday that envelopes containing “unknown powdery substances” were discovered Wednesday by election workers in several counties, prompting evacuations of those offices.
An initial test of white powdery substance from one envelope that was sent to the county elections office tested positive for fentanyl, the Spokane Police Department said.
Another letter sent to an election office in Washington State had a substance that tested positive for baking soda, not fentanyl, Officer Shelbie Boyd of the Tacoma Police Department told ABC News. The state will take it to a lab for additional testing.
Chris Loftis, the director of communications for Washington State Patrol, said a state bomb squad that responded to an election office in Pierce County on Wednesday found a message advising that the intent of the letter was to “stop the election.”
In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirmed that election workers in Fulton County were sent a suspicious letter and that no other counties in the state appear to have been targeted.
The letter was intercepted before it arrived at the election office, Raffensperger said at a press conference. No motive has been determined, he said.
“We’re working with our state and federal partners to determine if any additional Georgia officials are being targeted,” Raffensperger said in a statement earlier. “Domestic terrorists will not trample on our right to free and fair elections.”
A Fulton County spokesperson said no additional information was immediately available.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI were also investigating Thursday a letter containing an unknown substance that was sent to the Attorney General of Texas’ office, according to law enforcement. Initial tests on the substance came back negative, officials said.
It is unclear if the letter sent to the Texas AG’s office is connected to the ones sent to election offices in Washington and Georgia.
Threats to election workers have become more frequent in recent years, prompting a troubling exodus from their ranks in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
A DOJ spokesperson said in a statement Thursday, “We are aware of the reports and the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter. We have no further comment at this time.”
FBI offices in Atlanta and Spokane confirmed that they were collaborating with local law enforcement to investigate the incidents.
“FBI Seattle, along with our law enforcement partners, responded to multiple incidents involving suspicious letters sent to ballot counting centers in Washington state,” the office said. “As this is an ongoing matter, we do not have any further comment but the public can be assured that law enforcement will continue to keep the public’s safety as its top priority.”
ABC News’ Jack V. Date and Luke Barr contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York in a $250 million civil lawsuit that could alter the personal fortune and real estate empire that helped propel Trump to the White House.
Trump, his sons Eric Trump and and Donald Trump Jr., and Trump Organization executives are accused by New York Attorney General Letitia James of engaging in a decade-long scheme in which they used “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” to inflate Trump’s net worth in order get more favorable loan terms. The trial comes after the judge in the case ruled in a partial summary judgment that Trump had submitted “fraudulent valuations” for his assets, leaving the trial to determine additional actions and what penalty, if any, the defendants should receive.
The former president has denied all wrongdoing and his attorneys have argued that Trump’s alleged inflated valuations were a product of his business skill.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Nov 09, 2:55 PM EST
Judge denies NY AG’s motion to quash 4 defense witnesses
Judge Engoron has denied a motion from the New York attorney general to preclude four expert witnesses from testifying for the defense when the defense presents it case starting on Monday.
The state had sought to preclude the four experts’ testimony on the grounds that, following the testimony of the state’s witnesses, the four defense witnesses were no longer relevant to the case.
“You’ve won the battle. We’ll see if you win the war,” Engoron told defense attorney Chris Kise — though he warned Kise that he would cut off the witnesses if they try to debate facts already established in the case.
In making his ruling, Engoron reiterated his finding from his earlier summary judgment order that Donald Trump made at least ten internally contradictory claims in his statements of financial condition.
“You can’t have a correct statement with these kinds of errors,” Engoron said.
Kise told the court that Donald Trump Jr. will be the first witness to testify in the defense’s case on Monday.
“Oh, I know him,” Engoron deadpanned after the announcement.
It will mark Trump Jr.’s return to the witness box after the state put him on the stand last week.
Nov 09, 2:27 PM EST
Defense attorney apologizes for barb
Court has resumed after a lunch break, and Trump attorney Chris Kise appears to have had a change of heart regarding his earlier barb directed toward state attorney Andrew Amer.
Before lunch, Kise threw some shade at Amer during arguments over the state’s motion to preclude testimony from four of the defense’s expert witnesses.
Returning from court after the break, Kise took back his words and apologized.
“I am going to apologize to the court, I am going to apologize to Mr. Amer,” Kise said.
“I appreciate it and accept the apology,” Amer responded.
Nov 09, 12:51 PM EST
Trump attorney blasts motion to limit defense witnesses
Trump attorney Chris Kise grew visibly frustrated as today’s proceedings moved on to arguments over the state’s motion to preclude testimony from four of the defense’s expert witnesses that the state argues are no longer relevant to the case.
After state attorney Andrew Amer argued in favor of the motion, Kise suggested he belongs in totalitarian Russia.
“I suggest Mr. Amer check the internet,” Kise said. “Vladmir Putin has some openings. That is where he belongs.”
Describing the comment as “completely uncalled for,” Judge Engoron suggested that Kise apologize to Amer.
“I am not going to apologize,” Kise said, though he promised to refrain from “further pejoratives.”
Nov 09, 12:34 PM EST
Judge to take defense’s motion to end case early ‘under advisement’
Judge Arthur Engoron did not immediately rule on the defense’s motion for a directed verdict that would end the trial early.
Instead, the judge simply said the arguments were being “taken under advisement.”
Wrapping up his argument for a directed verdict, defense attorney Chris Kise channeled some of the rhetoric of his client, praising Donald Trump for helping the community and “reshaping the skyline of New York.”
“What building has the attorney general built in this community?” Kise asked.
Nov 09, 12:09 PM EST
Trial is a ‘documents case,’ state lawyer says
State attorney Kevin Wallace, arguing against the defense’s motion for a directed verdict to end the trial early, reiterated that the state’s case relies on documents that they say incriminate Donald Trump and his adult sons.
“This is a documents case,” Wallace said. “Each of the three defendants signed documents saying they were responsible for the fair presentation of the statements.”
While the defendants all testified that they relied on accountants, Wallace said by way of analogy that it’s like the defense saying that using an accountant absolves an individual of filing false tax returns.
“I am liable for that fraudulence,” Wallace said. “I am not relieved of my responsibility because I handed off to an accountant.”
Nov 09, 11:52 AM EST
Trump’s sons caught in political crossfire, defense lawyer says
Clifford Robert, a lawyer for Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., argued that his clients were caught in a political “fight between the attorney general and their father” and should be cleared from the fraud case, as part of the defense’s motion for a directed verdict to end the trial
“The evidence is clear that my clients had no real involvement in the preparation of the statement of financial condition,” Robert said in reference to the allegedly fraudulent documents that are at the center of the New York attorney general’s case.
To demonstrate his point, Robert highlighted testimony from six witnesses who attested that Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. were not involved in the preparation of their father’s financial statements.
Nov 09, 11:24 AM EST
No proof Trump engaged in conspiracy, defense argues
Trump attorney Chris Kise, arguing for a directed verdict to end the trial, said that the state relied on the testimony of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen in an attempt to show that Trump engaged in a conspiracy to defraud lenders — but that Cohen’s inconsistent testimony doomed their effort.
Cohen testified that Trump spoke “like a mob boss” when he indirectly instructed Cohen and then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to inflate his financial statements, without explicitly saying so.
“This is not a man who speaks in code,” Kise said, adding that “you will know what it is he wants” within minutes of talking to Trump.
Judge Arthur Engoron responded to Kise by mentioning what Trump called his “perfect call” in 2019 in with Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskiy, which became the basis for Trump’s first impeachment, as an example of Trump speaking in code.
Kise said that the only other testimony that suggested there was a conspiracy to defraud lenders came from a junior Trump Organization executive who claimed Allen Weisselberg told him, “Mr. Trump wanted his net worth on the statement of financial condition to go up.” Trump’s lawyers have argued his testimony should be inadmissible as hearsay.
“Even if it came in, that statement alone is not proof of any agreement,” Kise said.
Nov 09, 11:10 AM EST
State concedes witnesses weren’t asked if they regretted loans
The attorney general’s office, in response to the defense’s request for a directed verdict on the basis that the state failed to show that a bank or insurance company complained of fraud on the part of the Trump Organization, conceded that none of its witnesses were asked directly during the case whether they would have moved forward with a loan to the Trump Organization had they known about the fraudulent valuations alleged by the New York AG.
“Did any bank employee say, ‘We would have done it different,’ and if so who?” Judge Engoron asked the state attorneys.
“Mr. Haigh said that in his deposition,” state attorney Kevin Wallace responded, referring to Nicholas Haigh of Deutsche Bank — though Wallace acknowledged Haigh was not asked that during his direct examination.
Defense attorney Christopher Kise, in his argument for a directed verdict, said the state failed to present any evidence that a bank or insurance company would have dealt with the Trump Organization differently.
“There’s no, even theoretical, argument that the approvals, rates or terms would have been different,” Kise said. “Ultimately what matters is the decision-making process of the bank. If they would have approved it with this knowledge, then it’s not material.”
Kise also argued that the inclusion of the so-called “worthless” disclaimer in Trump’s statements of financial condition — which warned lenders that the valuations in the document required judgment and that they should do their own analysis — prove that Trump had no intent to defraud.
That prompted Engoron to interject.
“You seem to be saying the fact that someone says ‘Don’t believe me’ proves that they are not lying,” Engoron said.
Nov 09, 10:39 AM EST
Defense moves for directed verdict to end trial
Former President Trump’s defense team has moved for a directed verdict in the trial, arguing that New York Attorney General Letitia James has failed to meet the evidentiary standard necessary for the case to continue.
“The claims of the attorney general involve only successful and profitable loan transactions,” defense attorney Christopher Kise argued. “There’s no victim, there’s no complainant, there’s no injury.”
Judge Arthur Engoron already determined in a pretrial partial summary judgment that Trump engaged in fraud by duping banks and insurance companies into giving him favorable loan terms based on statements of financial condition that overvalued his assets and inflated his net worth, leaving the trial to determine additional actions and what penalty, if any, the defendants should receive.
The defense is arguing that the state has failed to present evidence that a bank or insurance company complained of fraud or that Trump failed to meet his financial obligations.
“There’s no intent to defraud, no defaults, no breach, no unjust profits and no victims,” Kise said. “There’s no record evidence that anything would have been different with the loan transactions or the insurance transactions.”
Defense attorney Jesus Suarez asked Ivanka Trump during cross-examination yesterday what Deutsche Bank executives said after providing the financing for Trump’s purchase and renovation of the Doral golf club in Miami.
“They were very happy,” Ivanka Trump responded.
“If they believe they’re being defrauded by someone, they’re not doing business with them,” Kise said of the banks.
Nov 09, 8:57 AM EST
James, Trump express differing views on case
After resting her case yesterday, New York Attorney General Letitia James expressed confidence in the strength of the case on social media.
“I am confident that we will prevail on the rest of our case because the facts don’t lie,” James said in a video statement.
James claimed that Ivanka Trump, who testified yesterday, used her father’s fraudulent statements to secure vital deals for the Trump Organization, including a Washington, D.C. property that yielded the company $139 million in profit. The New York AG is expected to request that Judge Engoron order the disgorgement of those profits by fining Trump more than $300 million.
Donald Trump, in the meantime, continued to falsely allege that the case has been directed by President Joe Biden.
“Even that stupid trial going on in New York, which has been totally discredited — everybody’s been discredited,” the former president told supporters at a campaign rally in Hialeah, Florida, last night.
“It comes out of the White House,” Trump said without proof of the allegation.
Nov 09, 8:22 AM EST
Donald Trump’s lawyers to move for directed verdict
A day after the New York attorney general rested her case, Donald Trump’s lawyers are set to make a long-shot motion for a directed verdict in the trial.
In moving for a directed verdict, Trump’s lawyers will ask Judge Arthur Engoron to end the case in favor of the defendants on the grounds that the New York attorney general failed to prove liability by a preponderance of the evidence.
The defense team requested a directed verdict earlier in the trial after they argued that Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen perjured himself on the witness stand, but Judge Engoron resoundingly shot down the request.
“Absolutely denied,” Engoron said when the defense made the request based on their claim that Cohen’s evidence was unreliable.
“This case has evidence, credible or not, all over the place,” said Engoron. “There’s enough evidence to fill this courtroom.”
If Engoron similarly denies today’s motion, the defense team will begin presenting its case on Monday.
Nov 08, 5:57 PM EST
James touts state’s case while Habba criticizes it
New York Attorney General Letitia James expressed confidence in her case while Trump attorney Alina Habba was equally dismissive, following the adjournment of court for the day.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse after she rested her case, James said that Ivanka Trump’s friendly courtroom demeanor should not distract from the fact she engaged in fraud.
“She clearly was involved in negotiating and securing loans, favorable loans, for the benefit of the Trump Organization for Mr. Trump, and her brothers and for herself,” James said of the former president’s eldest daughter.
James praised Ivanka Trump testimony, saying it was cordial, disciplined, courteous, friendly, and nice. But the New York AG said it was also inconsistent.
“Her testimony raises questions with regard to its credibility,” James said, later adding, “she was enriched, and clearly you cannot distance yourself from that fact.”
Exiting court minutes after James, Habba slammed the state’s effort, saying, “It is very clear that they have failed to prove the essential elements of the case.”
Habba went so far as to recommend that the Manhattan district attorney prosecute former Trump attorney Michael Cohen for perjury and investigate how much money was “wasted by New York on a fake, phony case.”
“We have spent three years doing this, based on testimony from Michael Cohen, who walked into that courtroom, and under oath and open court admitted that he perjured himself,” Habba said referring the Cohen’s earlier testimony.
Nov 08, 4:59 PM EST
New York attorney general rests her case
New York Attorney General Letitia James has rested her case against Donald Trump and his adult sons, state attorney Kevin Wallace told the court.
Judge Engoron confirmed that he will address motions for a directed verdict — as well as motions regarding the defense’s expert testimony — during a half day of court tomorrow.
“We don’t have any witnesses for tomorrow,” Trump attorney Chris Kise told the judge.
The defense’s case is expected to start in earnest on Monday.
Nov 08, 4:52 PM EST
Ivanka Trump steps down from the stand
Ivanka Trump stepped down from the witness stand following a day of testimony that saw the proceedings grow more heated as the afternoon wore on.
At one point toward the end of her cross-examination, Ivanka Trump delivered a lengthy response about working with Democratic lawmakers to execute the redevelopment of the Old Post Office in Washington, D.C., which became a Trump-owned hotel in 2016.
When defense attorney Jesus Suarez sought clarification that those lawmakers were Democrats, attorneys sitting at the state’s counsel table appeared to laugh — infuriating Suarez.
“I have to sit here and ask questions and listen to them laugh?” Suarez shouted, pointing at members of the attorney general’s office and calling their conduct “insulting.”
“They’re sitting there laughing … it’s not funny,” Suarez said.
Judge Engoron sought to quell tempers, framing the reaction as an expression of amusement regarding the repetition of Suarez’s questioning.
“I think they are laughing … three, four, five times that these were congressional representatives,” Engoron said. “Maybe they found the question funny.”
Nov 08, 4:16 PM EST
Trump attorney accuses judge of ‘double standard’
After a relatively calm day, tensions flared between Judge Engonon and Trump lawyer Chris Kise, after Kise accused the judge of applying a “double standard” to the defense team.
Defense attorney Jesus Suarez attempted to question Ivanka Trump about a document from the General Services Administration, prompting an objection from state attorney Louis Solomon, who argued that Suarez lacked the foundation to ask about the document.
“I’ve objected hundreds of times now,” an exasperated Kise said, arguing that the state attorneys used documents with less foundation provided.
“I continually object to your constant insinuation that I have some sort of double standard. It’s just not true,” Engoron replied forcefully.
Ivanka Trump, sitting feet away from Engoron, appeared to watch the exchange in disbelief.
“I wish it were different. I respect your honor’s position. I just see these ruling … frequently going in a different direction,” Kise said.
“Their objections have been of greater validity than yours,” Engoron shot back.
Nov 08, 3:40 PM EST
Ivanka Trump says father had ‘deep and nostalgic love’ of golf course
Following a sometimes-tense direct examination by state attorney Louis Solomon, Ivanka Trump is speaking more comfortably, showing more emotion, and offering more lengthy answers to questions during cross examination.
Asked about why the Trump Organization worked with Deutsche Bank to secure financing for its purchase of the Doral golf club in Miami, she spoke wistfully about the property.
“My father had a deep and nostalgic love for that particular property,” she testified.
“He told me he took my mother there,” she said with a smile, recalling her father bringing her there when she was a child.
“They were really impressed by what we had done over the course of several years in terms of upgrading and refurbishing the property,” Ivanka Trump said.
Nov 08, 3:27 PM EST
Banks sought to promote ties to Trump Organization, says defense
Deutsche Bank sought to promote its ties to the Trump Organization in marketing materials a decade ago, according to emails shown in court during Ivanka Trump’s ongoing cross-examination.
Trump attorney Jesus Suarez showed the emails to demonstrate a key pillar of their defense: that the state’s allegations were victimless, and in fact, rather than getting bilked in loan agreements, bankers appreciated — and even competed for — the Trump Organization’s business.
“I was constantly told by Rosemary and her team how much they appreciated our relationship and … seeking to grow it,” Ivanka Trump testified regarding Deutsche Bank executive Rosemary Vrablic.
Deutsche Bank asked Ivanka Trump to appear in promotional videos for their firm, the emails suggested.
Nov 08, 3:20 PM EST
Ivanka Trump says she received $4 million from sale of building
Ivanka Trump acknowledged that she personally received more than $4 million from the Trump Organization’s sale of the Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., last year.
In total, she received $4,013,204 in profit after the building was sold in 2022, according to a document shown in court.
“That is consistent with my recollection, yes,” Ivanka Trump said.
New York Attorney General Letitia James had pledged to show that Ivanka Trump personally profited from the fraud the AG says is at the center of the case.
Ivanka Trump has now completed her direct examination and is being cross-examined by defense attorney Jesus Suarez.
Under cross-examination, she repeated that she was not involved with reviewing, approving, or providing values for her father’s financial statements, which state attorneys say contained fraudulent valuations.
Nov 08, 2:57 PM EST
Jared Kushner would lend ‘perspective’ on deals, says Ivanka Trump
Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner, who like Ivanka Trump served as a senior adviser in the Trump White House, would frequently weigh in on her family’s real estate negotiations in the years before Donald Trump became president, Ivanka Trump testified.
State attorneys shared emails Ivanka Trump had sent her husband during negotiations with bankers over loan interest rates. Asked by state attorney Louis Solomon why she would share those records with Kushner, Trump responded, “It is not uncommon that I would ask my husband’s perspective on something I was working on.”
“My husband also was in real estate, and would have perspective for me,” she said of Kushner, who, like Ivanka Trump, is not a defendant in the case. “So periodically we would discuss what we were working on.”
Attorneys for Trump challenged the admissibility of emails belonging to Kushner, citing spousal privilege.
Justice Engoron overruled those objections because they communicated over work emails.
“If you use a work email that is subject to being seen by other people, you waive confidentiality,” Engoron said.
Nov 08, 2:08 PM EST
New York AG moves to stop testimony from defense experts
Donald Trump’s lawyers are scheduled to begin presenting the defense’s case on Monday following the conclusion of the presentation of the New York attorney general’s case — but New York AG Letitia James is arguing that four of the defense’s expert witnesses are no longer relevant.
In a filing made today, James argues that Judge Engoron’s partial summary judgment decision and subsequent changes to the state’s case have made make the testimony from the four experts irrelevant.
State lawyers plan to make an oral motion to preclude the expert testimony tomorrow, according to their filing.
Nov 08, 1:41 PM EST
‘I don’t recall’ discussion of financial statements, Ivanka Trump says
State attorney Louis Solomon grew visibly frustrated with Ivanka Trump’s limited recollections during an exchange about Donald Trump’s Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C.
Solomon attempted to confront Ivanka Trump with a document that showed that the General Services Administration — which ran the selection process for the renovation of the building — raised concerns about Donald Trump’s financial statements in 2011. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who says the statements contained fraudulent valuations, alleges that both Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump addressed those concerns during an in-person meeting with GSA officials.
“It was a general presentation. I don’t recall with specificity any discussion of financial statements,” Ivanka Trump said, prompting Solomon to throw his hands in the air.
“When I ask a question, she doesn’t remember,” an exasperated Solomon said. “The witness does have a recollection, your honor!”
“Would you like to clarify the situation?” Judge Engoron directly asked Ivanka Trump, who repeated the same description of the meeting.
“I recall one in-person meeting” about the “big picture” of the project, Ivanka Trump testified. She said recalled no discussion of “financial statements or anything granular like that.”
Donald Trump’s lawyers, meanwhile, have continued to object to Solomon asking questions about conduct from over a decade ago, which they say is akin to ancient history for a fast-moving real estate company.
“The GSA decision was made years before the statute of limitations,” Donald Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise argued, though Engoron overruled the objection.
Nov 08, 12:50 PM EST
‘You are starting to sound like your client,’ judge teases lawyer
Donald Trump is not in court today, but his lawyer is beginning to sound like the former president, according to a quip from Judge Arthur Engoron.
Describing the Trump Organization’s renovation of the Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise argued that the building was transformed from a “hulking relic” into a “world-class facility.”
“You are starting to sound like your client,” Engoron said, prompting some laughs from the gallery.
Nov 08, 12:34 PM EST
Ivanka Trump excused as lawyers debate statue of limitations
Ivanka Trump was removed from the courtroom for ten minutes while attorneys argued over whether the statute of limitations applied to the deals discussed during her testimony.
“These deals … had requirements for updated financials year, after year, after year,” Judge Arthur Engoron said. “To me, they are very much part of this case.”
Donald Trump’s lawyer argued that Ivanka Trump’s conduct between 2011 and 2013 could not impact someone else recertifying the loans years later.
“It’s theoretically impossible — it’s beyond implausible that some event that took place in 2016 would have changed the course of events in 2011, 2012, and 2013,” Trump attorney Chris Kise said.
Judge Engoron appeared unconvinced by the arguments and allowed the testimony to continue.
“The ship has sailed,” Engoron said.
Nov 08, 12:07 PM EST
Ivanka Trump says she wasn’t ‘privy to’ father’s financial statements
Asked about her involvement in her father’s statements of financial condition that the judge has already determined fraudulently overvalued his real estate and inflated his net worth, Ivaka Trump said she had no knowledge of them.
“I would assume he had a personal financial statement,” Ivanka Trump said. “Those weren’t things that I was privy to.”
Regarding a lease she had for a penthouse apartment in Trump Park Avenue that included an option to buy for $8.5 million, the New York attorney general’s office said Trump’s statement financial condition claimed that units in the building were selling for $20.8 million — two and a half times as much.
Asked by state lawyer Louis Solomon whether she knew about that discrepancy, Ivanka Trump responded, “I wasn’t involved in his statement of financial condition so I can’t say what it took into account or didn’t take into account.”
Solomon pressed her about the documents, asking, “Did you know whether he had personal financial statements, Donald J. Trump?” Solomon asked.
“I’m not involved in his personal financial statements. I didn’t know about his personal statements, per se, other than what you’ve showed me,” Ivanka Trump responded.
“Did you have any role in preparing Donald J. Trump’s statements of financial condition?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” she replied.
Nov 08, 11:29 AM EST
Ivanka Trump sought lower net worth requirement for loan
In 2011, as the Trump Organization sought financing for its purchase and renovation of the Doral golf club in Miami, Deutsche Bank agreed to loan Trump the necessary funds, with one critical catch — the deal would be secured by Donald Trump’s net worth.
“Is DJT willing to do that? Also, the net worth covenants and DJT indebtedness limitations would seem to me to be a problem?” Trump Organization executive Jason Greenblatt wrote in an email to Ivanka Trump and CFO Allen Weisselberg that was entered into evidence. The arrangement required Trump to maintain a net worth of $3 billion.
Trump’s 2011 statement of financial condition, one of the documents the New York attorney general alleges contained fraudulent valuations, listed his net worth as more than $4 billion. However Ivanka Trump asked Deutsche Bank to lower the amount of wealth her father would have to maintain, according to an email exchange entered into evidence.
“As I said before, I don’t recall the net worth covenant,” Ivanka Trump testified.
She proposed $2 billion, emails show. Deutsche Bank ultimately settled for $2.5 billion.
Nov 08, 11:19 AM EST
Courtroom reflects Ivanka Trump’s calm demeanor
Ivanka Trump flashed a smile at Judge Engoron when he recommended to her that, when reviewing evidence, it would be easier for her to look at the big screen set up in the courtroom instead of the papers in her lap.
“Thank you,” she said with a laugh.
Unlike her father, who roiled the judge and tangled with state attorneys during his testimony Monday, Ivanka Trump is reserved and soft spoken on the stand, at times speaking so quietly in answering questions that it’s hard to hear her.
The entire courtroom appears to be following her tone, with Judge Engoron and attorneys from both side conducting themselves calmly even when objections are raised.
Nov 08, 11:04 AM EST
Asked about 2011 emails, Ivanka Trump says they’re hard to recall
Asked about business negotiations from 2011, Ivanka Trump has been struggling to recall the details of her interactions from 12 years ago.
“I don’t recall, sitting here today, seeing these terms from 2011,” she responded after being shown a 2011 email to an Inbursa Bank representative. “I don’t remember having these conversations other than on a very high level.”
She has been punctuating her testimony with subtle indicators of how far removed she is from deals and documents discussed in court.
“I believe it was the ninth month of pregnancy of my oldest daughter,” she remarked after she was shown another document from 2011.
When asked about other documents, she added it was hard to remember “after all these years removed” or that she can only “recall you reminding me of that discussion.”
Nov 08, 10:48 AM EST
‘My father will send you’ his statement, Ivanka Trump said in email
Poised and patient on the witness stand, Ivanka Trump described how her husband, Jared Kushner, introduced her to Deutsche Bank’s private wealth management division, for which she later became the Trump Organization’s liaison and worked to arrange financing for the firm’s purchase of the Doral golf club in Miami.
She was shown an email in which she told a different potential lender that “my father will send you his most recent financial statement,” a potential indication of the document’s importance despite former President Trump’s prior testimony that the banks didn’t care about his financial statements when deciding whether to loan him money.
“They were just something that you would have,” Trump said during his testimony Monday about the statements at the center of the case.
Nov 08, 10:33 AM EST
Ivanka Trump avoids courtroom photos
Unlike her father and brothers, who, when they testified, were photographed by news photographers at the defense counsel table alongside their lawyers before taking the stand, Ivanka Trump appears to have avoided her courtroom photo opportunity.
While her father and brothers are defendants in the case, Ivanka Trump is a third-party witness. No photographers were allowed in the courtroom this morning.
Nov 08, 10:07 AM EST
Ivanka Trump takes the stand
“The people call Ivanka Trump,” state attorney Louis Solomon said.
“Who’s she?” Judge Arthur Engoron responded jokingly.
After a few awkward minutes of waiting, Ivanka Trump entered the courtroom, walked toward the judge, and took her place in the courtroom’s witness box. She did not address or make eye contact with Letitia James as she passed the New York attorney general.
“Do you solemnly swear or affirm that any testimony you give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” a court officer asked her.
“I do,” she responded with her right hand raised.
Nov 08, 9:51 AM EST
Ivanka Trump benefited from fraud, NY AG says
Speaking to reporters outside court this morning, New York Attorney General Letitia James said that today’s testimony will demonstrate that Ivanka Trump personally benefited from the fraud that a judge has ruled her family committed.
“We uncovered the scheme and she benefited from it personally,” James told reporters. “And Ms. Trump will do all that she can to try to separate herself from his corporation, but she is inextricably tied to the Trump Organization and to these properties that she helped secure financing for.”
James has taken a seat in the front row of the courtroom’s gallery, feet from her team of lawyers at the state’s counsel table.
Nov 08, 9:19 AM EST
NY AG’s chief real estate lawyer to question Ivanka Trump
Louis Solomon, the chief of the New York attorney general’s real estate finance division, is expected to lead the questioning of Ivanka Trump.
Solomon led Ivanka’s Trump deposition in August 2022, where she denied being involved in her father’s financial statements that are at the center of the case.
Earlier in the trial, Solomon led a contentious direct examination of former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, who frequently struggled to answer questions about who was responsible for various financial decisions at the company.
Solomon has frequently sparred with Donald Trump’s lawyers during the trial, including a heated exchange after multiple members of the state team tested positive for COVID-19 during the proceedings.
“Everything in this courtroom concerns me and my client, including your health,” defense lawyer Chris Kise said.
“Thanks for your concern,” Solomon responded offhandedly.
Nov 08, 9:03 AM EST
Ivanka Trump arrives at courthouse
Ivanka Trump has arrived at the New York State Supreme Courthouse, where she was greeted by a crowd of photographers ahead of her testimony this morning.
She did not make a statement outside court.
The eldest daughter of former President Trump is scheduled to take the stand at around 10 a.m. ET.
Nov 08, 8:47 AM EST
Crowd of reporters awaits Ivanka Trump outside court
A sizeable group of reporters is huddling outside the New York State Supreme Courthouse in lower Manhattan awaiting the arrival of Ivanka Trump on a chilly 42-degree morning.
Moderately smaller than the crowd that waited her father on Monday, photographers and court reporters are crammed in a narrow maze of metal barriers that police have assembled outside the building for the trial. The security arrangement, which has been utilized any time a Trump family member has appeared in court, has become a regular part of life for reporters covering the trial and a curiosity for tourists exploring downtown New York.
“Is this the line to see Donald Trump?” a passerby asked this morning.
“Yes, but he’s not here today,” a reporter responded to the visibly disappointed tourist.
Nov 08, 8:04 AM EST
Trump lauds ‘beautiful daughter’ ahead of Ivanka’s testimony
Former President Donald Trump has renewed his attacks on New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Arthur Engoron ahead of testimony this morning from his daughter Ivanka Trump, who is expected to be the last witness in the state’s case before the defense begins presenting its case.
“My wonderful and beautiful daughter, Ivanka, is going to the Lower Manhattan Courthouse, at the direction of Letitia Peekaboo James … and a Trump Hating, out of control Clubhouse appointed Judge, Arthur Engoron, who viciously ruled against me before the trial even started,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the judge’s partial summary judgment against the defendants.
Donald Trump’s lawyers also plan to question Ivanka Trump — a notable departure after they declined to cross-examine Donald Trump and his adult sons when they testified.
“We are certainly going to ask her questions, to the extent we have questions,” Trump’s attorney Chris Kise said on Monday. “We are trying to get that done now so as to minimize the interference in her life to not have to come back again.”
(NEW YORK) — Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York in a $250 million civil lawsuit that could alter the personal fortune and real estate empire that helped propel Trump to the White House.
Trump, his sons Eric Trump and and Donald Trump Jr., and Trump Organization executives are accused by New York Attorney General Letitia James of engaging in a decade-long scheme in which they used “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” to inflate Trump’s net worth in order get more favorable loan terms. The trial comes after the judge in the case ruled in a partial summary judgment that Trump had submitted “fraudulent valuations” for his assets, leaving the trial to determine additional actions and what penalty, if any, the defendants should receive.
The former president has denied all wrongdoing and his attorneys have argued that Trump’s alleged inflated valuations were a product of his business skill.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 09, 8:57 AM EST
James, Trump express differing views on case
After resting her case yesterday, New York Attorney General Letitia James expressed confidence in the strength of the case on social media.
“I am confident that we will prevail on the rest of our case because the facts don’t lie,” James said in a video statement.
James claimed that Ivanka Trump, who testified yesterday, used her father’s fraudulent statements to secure vital deals for the Trump Organization, including a Washington, D.C. property that yielded the company $139 million in profit. The New York AG is expected to request that Judge Engoron order the disgorgement of those profits by fining Trump more than $300 million.
Donald Trump, in the meantime, continued to falsely allege that the case has been directed by President Joe Biden.
“Even that stupid trial going on in New York, which has been totally discredited — everybody’s been discredited,” the former president told supporters at a campaign rally in Hialeah, Florida, last night.
“It comes out of the White House,” Trump said without proof of the allegation.
Nov 09, 8:22 AM EST
Donald Trump’s lawyers to move for directed verdict
A day after the New York attorney general rested her case, Donald Trump’s lawyers are set to make a long-shot motion for a directed verdict in the trial.
In moving for a directed verdict, Trump’s lawyers will ask Judge Arthur Engoron to end the case in favor of the defendants on the grounds that the New York attorney general failed to prove liability by a preponderance of the evidence.
The defense team requested a directed verdict earlier in the trial after they argued that Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen perjured himself on the witness stand, but Judge Engoron resoundingly shot down the request.
“Absolutely denied,” Engoron said when the defense made the request based on their claim that Cohen’s evidence was unreliable.
“This case has evidence, credible or not, all over the place,” said Engoron. “There’s enough evidence to fill this courtroom.”
If Engoron similarly denies today’s motion, the defense team will begin presenting its case on Monday.
Nov 08, 5:57 PM EST
James touts state’s case while Habba criticizes it
New York Attorney General Letitia James expressed confidence in her case while Trump attorney Alina Habba was equally dismissive, following the adjournment of court for the day.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse after she rested her case, James said that Ivanka Trump’s friendly courtroom demeanor should not distract from the fact she engaged in fraud.
“She clearly was involved in negotiating and securing loans, favorable loans, for the benefit of the Trump Organization for Mr. Trump, and her brothers and for herself,” James said of the former president’s eldest daughter.
James praised Ivanka Trump testimony, saying it was cordial, disciplined, courteous, friendly, and nice. But the New York AG said it was also inconsistent.
“Her testimony raises questions with regard to its credibility,” James said, later adding, “she was enriched, and clearly you cannot distance yourself from that fact.”
Exiting court minutes after James, Habba slammed the state’s effort, saying, “It is very clear that they have failed to prove the essential elements of the case.”
Habba went so far as to recommend that the Manhattan district attorney prosecute former Trump attorney Michael Cohen for perjury and investigate how much money was “wasted by New York on a fake, phony case.”
“We have spent three years doing this, based on testimony from Michael Cohen, who walked into that courtroom, and under oath and open court admitted that he perjured himself,” Habba said referring the Cohen’s earlier testimony.
Nov 08, 4:59 PM EST
New York attorney general rests her case
New York Attorney General Letitia James has rested her case against Donald Trump and his adult sons, state attorney Kevin Wallace told the court.
Judge Engoron confirmed that he will address motions for a directed verdict — as well as motions regarding the defense’s expert testimony — during a half day of court tomorrow.
“We don’t have any witnesses for tomorrow,” Trump attorney Chris Kise told the judge.
The defense’s case is expected to start in earnest on Monday.
Nov 08, 4:52 PM EST
Ivanka Trump steps down from the stand
Ivanka Trump stepped down from the witness stand following a day of testimony that saw the proceedings grow more heated as the afternoon wore on.
At one point toward the end of her cross-examination, Ivanka Trump delivered a lengthy response about working with Democratic lawmakers to execute the redevelopment of the Old Post Office in Washington, D.C., which became a Trump-owned hotel in 2016.
When defense attorney Jesus Suarez sought clarification that those lawmakers were Democrats, attorneys sitting at the state’s counsel table appeared to laugh — infuriating Suarez.
“I have to sit here and ask questions and listen to them laugh?” Suarez shouted, pointing at members of the attorney general’s office and calling their conduct “insulting.”
“They’re sitting there laughing … it’s not funny,” Suarez said.
Judge Engoron sought to quell tempers, framing the reaction as an expression of amusement regarding the repetition of Suarez’s questioning.
“I think they are laughing … three, four, five times that these were congressional representatives,” Engoron said. “Maybe they found the question funny.”
Nov 08, 4:16 PM EST
Trump attorney accuses judge of ‘double standard’
After a relatively calm day, tensions flared between Judge Engonon and Trump lawyer Chris Kise, after Kise accused the judge of applying a “double standard” to the defense team.
Defense attorney Jesus Suarez attempted to question Ivanka Trump about a document from the General Services Administration, prompting an objection from state attorney Louis Solomon, who argued that Suarez lacked the foundation to ask about the document.
“I’ve objected hundreds of times now,” an exasperated Kise said, arguing that the state attorneys used documents with less foundation provided.
“I continually object to your constant insinuation that I have some sort of double standard. It’s just not true,” Engoron replied forcefully.
Ivanka Trump, sitting feet away from Engoron, appeared to watch the exchange in disbelief.
“I wish it were different. I respect your honor’s position. I just see these ruling … frequently going in a different direction,” Kise said.
“Their objections have been of greater validity than yours,” Engoron shot back.
Nov 08, 3:40 PM EST
Ivanka Trump says father had ‘deep and nostalgic love’ of golf course
Following a sometimes-tense direct examination by state attorney Louis Solomon, Ivanka Trump is speaking more comfortably, showing more emotion, and offering more lengthy answers to questions during cross examination.
Asked about why the Trump Organization worked with Deutsche Bank to secure financing for its purchase of the Doral golf club in Miami, she spoke wistfully about the property.
“My father had a deep and nostalgic love for that particular property,” she testified.
“He told me he took my mother there,” she said with a smile, recalling her father bringing her there when she was a child.
“They were really impressed by what we had done over the course of several years in terms of upgrading and refurbishing the property,” Ivanka Trump said.
Nov 08, 3:27 PM EST
Banks sought to promote ties to Trump Organization, says defense
Deutsche Bank sought to promote its ties to the Trump Organization in marketing materials a decade ago, according to emails shown in court during Ivanka Trump’s ongoing cross-examination.
Trump attorney Jesus Suarez showed the emails to demonstrate a key pillar of their defense: that the state’s allegations were victimless, and in fact, rather than getting bilked in loan agreements, bankers appreciated — and even competed for — the Trump Organization’s business.
“I was constantly told by Rosemary and her team how much they appreciated our relationship and … seeking to grow it,” Ivanka Trump testified regarding Deutsche Bank executive Rosemary Vrablic.
Deutsche Bank asked Ivanka Trump to appear in promotional videos for their firm, the emails suggested.
Nov 08, 3:20 PM EST
Ivanka Trump says she received $4 million from sale of building
Ivanka Trump acknowledged that she personally received more than $4 million from the Trump Organization’s sale of the Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., last year.
In total, she received $4,013,204 in profit after the building was sold in 2022, according to a document shown in court.
“That is consistent with my recollection, yes,” Ivanka Trump said.
New York Attorney General Letitia James had pledged to show that Ivanka Trump personally profited from the fraud the AG says is at the center of the case.
Ivanka Trump has now completed her direct examination and is being cross-examined by defense attorney Jesus Suarez.
Under cross-examination, she repeated that she was not involved with reviewing, approving, or providing values for her father’s financial statements, which state attorneys say contained fraudulent valuations.
Nov 08, 2:57 PM EST
Jared Kushner would lend ‘perspective’ on deals, says Ivanka Trump
Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner, who like Ivanka Trump served as a senior adviser in the Trump White House, would frequently weigh in on her family’s real estate negotiations in the years before Donald Trump became president, Ivanka Trump testified.
State attorneys shared emails Ivanka Trump had sent her husband during negotiations with bankers over loan interest rates. Asked by state attorney Louis Solomon why she would share those records with Kushner, Trump responded, “It is not uncommon that I would ask my husband’s perspective on something I was working on.”
“My husband also was in real estate, and would have perspective for me,” she said of Kushner, who, like Ivanka Trump, is not a defendant in the case. “So periodically we would discuss what we were working on.”
Attorneys for Trump challenged the admissibility of emails belonging to Kushner, citing spousal privilege.
Justice Engoron overruled those objections because they communicated over work emails.
“If you use a work email that is subject to being seen by other people, you waive confidentiality,” Engoron said.
Nov 08, 2:08 PM EST
New York AG moves to stop testimony from defense experts
Donald Trump’s lawyers are scheduled to begin presenting the defense’s case on Monday following the conclusion of the presentation of the New York attorney general’s case — but New York AG Letitia James is arguing that four of the defense’s expert witnesses are no longer relevant.
In a filing made today, James argues that Judge Engoron’s partial summary judgment decision and subsequent changes to the state’s case have made make the testimony from the four experts irrelevant.
State lawyers plan to make an oral motion to preclude the expert testimony tomorrow, according to their filing.
Nov 08, 1:41 PM EST
‘I don’t recall’ discussion of financial statements, Ivanka Trump says
State attorney Louis Solomon grew visibly frustrated with Ivanka Trump’s limited recollections during an exchange about Donald Trump’s Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C.
Solomon attempted to confront Ivanka Trump with a document that showed that the General Services Administration — which ran the selection process for the renovation of the building — raised concerns about Donald Trump’s financial statements in 2011. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who says the statements contained fraudulent valuations, alleges that both Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump addressed those concerns during an in-person meeting with GSA officials.
“It was a general presentation. I don’t recall with specificity any discussion of financial statements,” Ivanka Trump said, prompting Solomon to throw his hands in the air.
“When I ask a question, she doesn’t remember,” an exasperated Solomon said. “The witness does have a recollection, your honor!”
“Would you like to clarify the situation?” Judge Engoron directly asked Ivanka Trump, who repeated the same description of the meeting.
“I recall one in-person meeting” about the “big picture” of the project, Ivanka Trump testified. She said recalled no discussion of “financial statements or anything granular like that.”
Donald Trump’s lawyers, meanwhile, have continued to object to Solomon asking questions about conduct from over a decade ago, which they say is akin to ancient history for a fast-moving real estate company.
“The GSA decision was made years before the statute of limitations,” Donald Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise argued, though Engoron overruled the objection.
Nov 08, 12:50 PM EST
‘You are starting to sound like your client,’ judge teases lawyer
Donald Trump is not in court today, but his lawyer is beginning to sound like the former president, according to a quip from Judge Arthur Engoron.
Describing the Trump Organization’s renovation of the Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise argued that the building was transformed from a “hulking relic” into a “world-class facility.”
“You are starting to sound like your client,” Engoron said, prompting some laughs from the gallery.
Nov 08, 12:34 PM EST
Ivanka Trump excused as lawyers debate statue of limitations
Ivanka Trump was removed from the courtroom for ten minutes while attorneys argued over whether the statute of limitations applied to the deals discussed during her testimony.
“These deals … had requirements for updated financials year, after year, after year,” Judge Arthur Engoron said. “To me, they are very much part of this case.”
Donald Trump’s lawyer argued that Ivanka Trump’s conduct between 2011 and 2013 could not impact someone else recertifying the loans years later.
“It’s theoretically impossible — it’s beyond implausible that some event that took place in 2016 would have changed the course of events in 2011, 2012, and 2013,” Trump attorney Chris Kise said.
Judge Engoron appeared unconvinced by the arguments and allowed the testimony to continue.
“The ship has sailed,” Engoron said.
Nov 08, 12:07 PM EST
Ivanka Trump says she wasn’t ‘privy to’ father’s financial statements
Asked about her involvement in her father’s statements of financial condition that the judge has already determined fraudulently overvalued his real estate and inflated his net worth, Ivaka Trump said she had no knowledge of them.
“I would assume he had a personal financial statement,” Ivanka Trump said. “Those weren’t things that I was privy to.”
Regarding a lease she had for a penthouse apartment in Trump Park Avenue that included an option to buy for $8.5 million, the New York attorney general’s office said Trump’s statement financial condition claimed that units in the building were selling for $20.8 million — two and a half times as much.
Asked by state lawyer Louis Solomon whether she knew about that discrepancy, Ivanka Trump responded, “I wasn’t involved in his statement of financial condition so I can’t say what it took into account or didn’t take into account.”
Solomon pressed her about the documents, asking, “Did you know whether he had personal financial statements, Donald J. Trump?” Solomon asked.
“I’m not involved in his personal financial statements. I didn’t know about his personal statements, per se, other than what you’ve showed me,” Ivanka Trump responded.
“Did you have any role in preparing Donald J. Trump’s statements of financial condition?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” she replied.
Nov 08, 11:29 AM EST
Ivanka Trump sought lower net worth requirement for loan
In 2011, as the Trump Organization sought financing for its purchase and renovation of the Doral golf club in Miami, Deutsche Bank agreed to loan Trump the necessary funds, with one critical catch — the deal would be secured by Donald Trump’s net worth.
“Is DJT willing to do that? Also, the net worth covenants and DJT indebtedness limitations would seem to me to be a problem?” Trump Organization executive Jason Greenblatt wrote in an email to Ivanka Trump and CFO Allen Weisselberg that was entered into evidence. The arrangement required Trump to maintain a net worth of $3 billion.
Trump’s 2011 statement of financial condition, one of the documents the New York attorney general alleges contained fraudulent valuations, listed his net worth as more than $4 billion. However Ivanka Trump asked Deutsche Bank to lower the amount of wealth her father would have to maintain, according to an email exchange entered into evidence.
“As I said before, I don’t recall the net worth covenant,” Ivanka Trump testified.
She proposed $2 billion, emails show. Deutsche Bank ultimately settled for $2.5 billion.
Nov 08, 11:19 AM EST
Courtroom reflects Ivanka Trump’s calm demeanor
Ivanka Trump flashed a smile at Judge Engoron when he recommended to her that, when reviewing evidence, it would be easier for her to look at the big screen set up in the courtroom instead of the papers in her lap.
“Thank you,” she said with a laugh.
Unlike her father, who roiled the judge and tangled with state attorneys during his testimony Monday, Ivanka Trump is reserved and soft spoken on the stand, at times speaking so quietly in answering questions that it’s hard to hear her.
The entire courtroom appears to be following her tone, with Judge Engoron and attorneys from both side conducting themselves calmly even when objections are raised.
Nov 08, 11:04 AM EST
Asked about 2011 emails, Ivanka Trump says they’re hard to recall
Asked about business negotiations from 2011, Ivanka Trump has been struggling to recall the details of her interactions from 12 years ago.
“I don’t recall, sitting here today, seeing these terms from 2011,” she responded after being shown a 2011 email to an Inbursa Bank representative. “I don’t remember having these conversations other than on a very high level.”
She has been punctuating her testimony with subtle indicators of how far removed she is from deals and documents discussed in court.
“I believe it was the ninth month of pregnancy of my oldest daughter,” she remarked after she was shown another document from 2011.
When asked about other documents, she added it was hard to remember “after all these years removed” or that she can only “recall you reminding me of that discussion.”
Nov 08, 10:48 AM EST
‘My father will send you’ his statement, Ivanka Trump said in email
Poised and patient on the witness stand, Ivanka Trump described how her husband, Jared Kushner, introduced her to Deutsche Bank’s private wealth management division, for which she later became the Trump Organization’s liaison and worked to arrange financing for the firm’s purchase of the Doral golf club in Miami.
She was shown an email in which she told a different potential lender that “my father will send you his most recent financial statement,” a potential indication of the document’s importance despite former President Trump’s prior testimony that the banks didn’t care about his financial statements when deciding whether to loan him money.
“They were just something that you would have,” Trump said during his testimony Monday about the statements at the center of the case.
Nov 08, 10:33 AM EST
Ivanka Trump avoids courtroom photos
Unlike her father and brothers, who, when they testified, were photographed by news photographers at the defense counsel table alongside their lawyers before taking the stand, Ivanka Trump appears to have avoided her courtroom photo opportunity.
While her father and brothers are defendants in the case, Ivanka Trump is a third-party witness. No photographers were allowed in the courtroom this morning.
Nov 08, 10:07 AM EST
Ivanka Trump takes the stand
“The people call Ivanka Trump,” state attorney Louis Solomon said.
“Who’s she?” Judge Arthur Engoron responded jokingly.
After a few awkward minutes of waiting, Ivanka Trump entered the courtroom, walked toward the judge, and took her place in the courtroom’s witness box. She did not address or make eye contact with Letitia James as she passed the New York attorney general.
“Do you solemnly swear or affirm that any testimony you give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” a court officer asked her.
“I do,” she responded with her right hand raised.
Nov 08, 9:51 AM EST
Ivanka Trump benefited from fraud, NY AG says
Speaking to reporters outside court this morning, New York Attorney General Letitia James said that today’s testimony will demonstrate that Ivanka Trump personally benefited from the fraud that a judge has ruled her family committed.
“We uncovered the scheme and she benefited from it personally,” James told reporters. “And Ms. Trump will do all that she can to try to separate herself from his corporation, but she is inextricably tied to the Trump Organization and to these properties that she helped secure financing for.”
James has taken a seat in the front row of the courtroom’s gallery, feet from her team of lawyers at the state’s counsel table.
Nov 08, 9:19 AM EST
NY AG’s chief real estate lawyer to question Ivanka Trump
Louis Solomon, the chief of the New York attorney general’s real estate finance division, is expected to lead the questioning of Ivanka Trump.
Solomon led Ivanka’s Trump deposition in August 2022, where she denied being involved in her father’s financial statements that are at the center of the case.
Earlier in the trial, Solomon led a contentious direct examination of former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, who frequently struggled to answer questions about who was responsible for various financial decisions at the company.
Solomon has frequently sparred with Donald Trump’s lawyers during the trial, including a heated exchange after multiple members of the state team tested positive for COVID-19 during the proceedings.
“Everything in this courtroom concerns me and my client, including your health,” defense lawyer Chris Kise said.
“Thanks for your concern,” Solomon responded offhandedly.
Nov 08, 9:03 AM EST
Ivanka Trump arrives at courthouse
Ivanka Trump has arrived at the New York State Supreme Courthouse, where she was greeted by a crowd of photographers ahead of her testimony this morning.
She did not make a statement outside court.
The eldest daughter of former President Trump is scheduled to take the stand at around 10 a.m. ET.
Nov 08, 8:47 AM EST
Crowd of reporters awaits Ivanka Trump outside court
A sizeable group of reporters is huddling outside the New York State Supreme Courthouse in lower Manhattan awaiting the arrival of Ivanka Trump on a chilly 42-degree morning.
Moderately smaller than the crowd that waited her father on Monday, photographers and court reporters are crammed in a narrow maze of metal barriers that police have assembled outside the building for the trial. The security arrangement, which has been utilized any time a Trump family member has appeared in court, has become a regular part of life for reporters covering the trial and a curiosity for tourists exploring downtown New York.
“Is this the line to see Donald Trump?” a passerby asked this morning.
“Yes, but he’s not here today,” a reporter responded to the visibly disappointed tourist.
Nov 08, 8:04 AM EST
Trump lauds ‘beautiful daughter’ ahead of Ivanka’s testimony
Former President Donald Trump has renewed his attacks on New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Arthur Engoron ahead of testimony this morning from his daughter Ivanka Trump, who is expected to be the last witness in the state’s case before the defense begins presenting its case.
“My wonderful and beautiful daughter, Ivanka, is going to the Lower Manhattan Courthouse, at the direction of Letitia Peekaboo James … and a Trump Hating, out of control Clubhouse appointed Judge, Arthur Engoron, who viciously ruled against me before the trial even started,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the judge’s partial summary judgment against the defendants.
Donald Trump’s lawyers also plan to question Ivanka Trump — a notable departure after they declined to cross-examine Donald Trump and his adult sons when they testified.
“We are certainly going to ask her questions, to the extent we have questions,” Trump’s attorney Chris Kise said on Monday. “We are trying to get that done now so as to minimize the interference in her life to not have to come back again.”
(WASHINGTON) — Politicians, high-tech and pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors who possess security clearances, professors, lawyers, scientists and accountants were among the clients of a “high-end brothel network” being run out of Boston and Northern Virginia, according to court documents unsealed by the Justice Department on Wednesday.
Hana Lee, James Lee and Junmyung Lee were allegedly running “sophisticated” high-end brothels in which they rented high-end luxury apartments and enticed primarily Asian women to work in the brothels, according to the press release.
No customer of the brothel was named in the federal charging documents.
The trio allegedly advertised their services on two websites, which posed as a high-end nude photography business, but in reality, DOJ says it was a front for the brothel which charged between $350 and $600 per hour for services.
The charging documents claim in order for clients to get the service, they were required to fill out a form listing their employer and a reference for the service. DOJ says 20 of the men were interviewed by DOJ for the investigation.
Payments would allegedly come in cash and would be taken by the woman whom the men made the appointment with — the more intimate the service, the more expensive, according to texts in the charging docs.
The women would hand the money over to one of the three men charged and they would convert it into a Western Union check, according to the docs.
Court documents alleged the trio kept phone records of the customers who used the service and texted them a “menu” of available services.
A lawyer for the trio did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
