The three oldest children of Donald Trump – Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump – have been accused of failing to provide documents in an ongoing fraud lawsuit involving them and the Trump Organization. A letter obtained by a news outlet reveals that the Trumps have not submitted emails and other documents, with a mysterious decline in emails from Ivanka Trump raising concerns.
The number of Ivanka's emails fell from 1,200 per month in the first nine months of 2014 to 37 per month in 2016. The attorney general's office informed Judge Arthur Engoron in late April that “not only have defendants failed to offer any substantive response to this inquiry, but there have been no documents produced by Ms. Trump.”
Judge Engoron is now mandating that the Trumps provide affidavits explaining their adherence to the rules so far and has set a May 12 deadline for the submission of the remaining necessary documents.
Donald Trump was fined $110,000 in May 2022 after Judge Engoron determined that he had not complied with a subpoena from the attorney general's office. Attorney General Letitia James stated, “For years, Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization have tried to thwart our lawful investigation, but today’s decision makes clear that no one can evade accountability.”
The attorney general's office now alleges that Trump, his children, the Trump Organization, and some top executives inflated property values to obtain financial benefits, such as lower-cost loans. The defendants have denied the charges.
Trump's attorney told the judge, “Simply put, there has been no lack of diligence and no ‘stonewalling.’” She also added that her clients would be unable to submit all required materials by April 30.
Since Donald Trump, 76, announced his bid for the presidency again, Ivanka has distanced herself from her father. In a statement posted on Instagram, she said, "I love my father very much. This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family."
Ivanka continued, "I do not plan to be involved in politics. While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena. I am grateful to have had the honor of serving the American people and I will always be proud of many of our Administration's accomplishments."