Appeals court denies Ivanka Trump’s bid to delay NY fraud trial testimony

A New York appeals court denied Ivanka Trump’s attempt to block her scheduled testimony next week at her father’s ongoing fraud trial.

In a ruling late Thursday given without explanation, the New York Appellate Division, First Department rejected a motion to stay the testimony, and Ivanka Trump hours later dropped her full appeal.

“Application for interim stay pending decision on the motion is denied,” the brief ruling read.

Ivanka Trump had argued she would face undue hardship if ordered to testify as scheduled “in the middle of a school week” this coming Wednesday.

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) is taking the former president, his two adult sons and various Trump business entities to trial over accusations they fraudulently manipulated the values of their most famed properties for tax and loan benefits.

The suit originally named Ivanka Trump as a defendant, but she was dismissed from the case earlier this year after a state appeals court ruled the claims against her were barred by the state’s statute of limitations.

Ivanka Trump’s attorney had argued compelling her to testify at the ongoing trial would be outside of James’s jurisdiction. But Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the trial, rejected those arguments, leading Ivanka to appeal to the First Department.

Hours after the appeals court denied her request for a stay, Ivanka Trump dropped her full appeal.

“Given Ms. Trump’s trial testimony is now scheduled to take place before her motion is scheduled to be heard by this Court, Ms. Trump’s motion is now — for all practical purposes — moot,” her attorney wrote in court filings.

She is one of multiple Trump family members set to testify in the ongoing trial. 

The former president’s two adult sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., testified Thursday in back-to-back appearances, and Eric Trump is set to continue testifying Friday.

The former president is expected to testify next week, and Ivanka is scheduled to testify Nov. 8.

Updated 4:52 p.m.