Ivanka Trump deposed as part of lawsuit over use of inauguration funds

Catherine Garcia
·1 min read

Ivanka Trump, President Trump's eldest daughter and one of his senior advisers, was deposed on Tuesday as part of a civil lawsuit alleging the misuse of inaugural funds, court documents show.

The District of Columbia attorney general's office sued the Trump Organization and Presidential Inaugural Committee in January, claiming that they misused more than $1 million by "grossly overpaying" for event space in the Trump International Hotel in Washington. The suit alleges that in one case, a nonprofit corporation called the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee, in coordination with the Trump family, paid more than $300,000 to hold a private reception at the hotel for Ivanka Trump and her brothers, Donald Jr. and Eric, on Jan. 20, 2017.

"District law requires nonprofits to use their funds for their stated public purpose, not to benefit private individuals or companies," District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine said earlier this year.

Court filings show that Tom Barrack, the chairman of Trump's inaugural committee, was deposed on Nov. 17. The lawsuit alleges that during inaugural planning, Barrack "personally managed" discussions with the hotel about the event spaces used.

More stories from theweek.com
5 absurdly funny cartoons about Trump's desperate fraud claims
The naked corruption of Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue
Florida attorney reportedly under investigation after telling Republicans to change 'your address for the next 2 months' for Georgia runoffs