Ivanka Trump denies familiarity with key documents in Donald Trump's New York fraud case: 6 takeaways

NEW YORK – Ivanka Trump's calm testimony punctuated with the occasional smile Wednesday contrasted starkly her father Donald Trump's combative appearance Monday at the civil fraud trial that will determine whether the Trump Organization can continue to operate in New York state.

But her testimony echoed those of her father and brothers Eric and Donald Trump Jr., who both testified last week, about her unfamiliarity with financial statements about the company that are central to the lawsuit.

Attorney General Letitia James filed the lawsuit seeking $250 million from the company, Trump, two of his sons and two executives. The judge, Arthur Engoron, has already ruled Trump committed fraud for years in valuing his real estate, in a decision Trump's lawyers vowed to appeal.

The trial will determine the extent of damages and whether the business certificates that allow it to operate in New York State are canceled. Here are six takeaways from Ivanka Trump's appearance:

Ivanka Trump says she is unfamiliar with financial statements

Ivanka Trump echoed testimony from her brothers by saying she wasn't very familiar with her father’s personal statements on his financial condition.

The financial statements were important because they allowed Donald Trump to secure better terms on loans and insurance, according to the state of New York. But Engoron ruled in September the statements were riddled with fraud for years.

“I wasn’t involved in his statement of financial condition,” said Ivanka Trump, who was a former executive vice president at the family business before joining her father at the White House in 2017 as a senior adviser.

“Those were not things that I was privy to,” she testified.

Ivanka Trump questioned about Old Post Office project

Louis Solomon, a lawyer for the attorney general's office, grilled Ivanka Trump about the Old Post Office project in Washington, D.C., which her father developed into a hotel. Solomon asked whether she remembered the federal General Services Administration had asked about her father’s financial statements related to the project.

Ivanka Trump, who the government said negotiated both the lease and a loan related to the property, said she recalled they asked “a series of questions on all sorts of elements related to our proposal.” But beyond documents shown to her in court proceedings, she didn’t recall one of those questions related to her father’s statements on his financial condition.

According to the state’s lawsuit, financing of up to $170 million from Deutsche Bank in connection with the purchase and renovation of the property was tied to a certification from Donald Trump that his financial statement was accurate.

Ivanka Trump benefitted personally from corporate fraud: James

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the case, told reporters before the trial resumed that Ivanka Trump was inextricably linked to fraud at the company.

“She benefitted from it personally,” James said. “Ms. Trump will do all that she can to separate herself from this corporation, but she is inextricably tied to the Trump Organization and to these properties that she helped secure financing for. You cannot hide from the truth.”

Ivanka Trump's calm, smiling demeanor contrasts with father

Ivanka Trump's calm demeanor contrasted sharply with the combative performance of her father Donald Trump, who testified Monday.

Donald Trump clashed repeatedly with the judge and was scolded for answering questions with political speeches. He was previously fined a combined $15,000 for two violations of the judge's restrictions about the judge's clerk.

But Ivanka Trump provided even-tempered testimony. She periodically smiled broadly. At one point, she thanked a government lawyer for asking about a 2011 development proposal, saying "it brought back a lot of memories."

Protesters urged criminal prosecutions of Ivanka Trump and her father

Protesters called for the criminal prosecution of Ivanka Trump while waiting for her arrival at the New York courthouse. But Ivanka Trump was not a defendant in the civil fraud trial, like her father and two brothers, much less a criminal suspect. An appeals court removed her as a defendant in New York's civil case, ruling her involvement in the Trump Organization was too long ago.

One protester held a sign urging prosecutors to “indict Ivanka Trump.” Another held a sign portraying Donald Trump as a prisoner behind bars.

But rather than criminal penalties, the civil lawsuit seeks $250 million in damages and to bar the former president from running a business in New York state, which he is fighting.

What's ahead in the trial?

James has said the government would rest its case after Ivanka Trump’s testimony.

James said Thursday would be spent arguing about motions in the case. The defense is expected to begin its side of the case on Monday.

One of the motions to be argued is about four Trump witnesses the government seeks to block from testifying. The government contends planned witnesses Steven Laposa, Jason Flemmons and Steve Witkoff are no longer needed after the judge, Engoron, ruled Trump committed fraud for years in valuing his real estate.

The government also argued potential witnesses Witkoff and David Miller were designated to rebut government experts who weren’t called, “so there is nothing for either of them to rebut.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ivanka Trump testifies she is unfamiliar with key records; 6 takeaways