Ivanka Trump Deposed in Lawsuit Alleging Misused Inaugural Funds

Ivanka Trump has been deposed in a lawsuit that alleges there was a misuse of funds for Donald Trump‘s inauguration in 2017. According to CBS News, Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine sued Trump’s inaugural committee and the businesses overseeing Trump International Hotel in Washington, alleging that the non-profit inaugural committee conspired with members of the Trump family to pay more than necessary for event space. Racine argues that this was done to funnel more money into Trump’s business. In the lawsuit, Racine alleges that over $1 million in taxpayer funds were “wasted on improper payments” made to the Trump Hotel, for the use of event space.

In a statement, Ivanka confirmed that she’d been deposed, writing, “This week I spent 5+ hours in a deposition with the Democrat D.C. AG’s office where they questioned the rates charged by the Trump Hotel at the inauguration. I shared with them an email from 4 years ago where I sent instructions to the hotel to charge ‘a fair market rate,’ which the hotel then did.” Ivanka also included a screenshot of the email in question. She then added, “This ‘inquiry’ is another politically motivated demonstration of vindictiveness [and] a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Racine responded to Trump’s statement by writing, “We filed suit after gathering evidence that the Presidential Inaugural Committee knowingly entered into a grossly overpriced contract with the Trump Hotel. Any claim to the contrary is incorrect.” He later added, “DC law requires nonprofits to use funds for stated public purposes, and to avoid unreasonable, wasteful expenses. Our investigation revealed the Committee willfully used nonprofit funds to enrich the Trump family. It’s very simple: They broke the law. That’s why we sued.”

In a statement as the 2021 President of The National Association of Attorneys General, Racine issued comments that seemed vaguely related to the current political climate. “Amid the instability of our politics and the despair caused by the virus…racial tensions, xenophobia, and yes, hate have once again bubbled up to the surface, threatening to pull us apart,” he said. Hate takes root when one group of people views another as less than human. This dehumanization and debasement, at its core, allows us to rationalize hateful violence and discrimination.”

Racine then said, “Hate requires us to demonstrate courage and take all efforts to combat it. I can think of no better positioned leaders, than the people’s lawyers… state AGs… to defend the people against the greatest threat to our country and our humanity.”