Ivanka Trump deposed in DC attorney general's inauguration lawsuit involving Trump hotel

Ivanka Trump deposed in DC attorney general's inauguration lawsuit involving Trump hotel
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Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump's daughter and White House senior adviser, attended a deposition on Tuesday with investigators from the Washington, D.C., attorney general's office amid legal proceedings regarding the misuse of inaugural funds, according to D.C. court filings.

CNN reports that the deposition is in connection with a D.C. lawsuit filed against the Trump Organization and Presidential Inaugural Committee back in January. The suit alleges that the committee abused more than $1 million raised by the non-profit organization. At the time, it was "grossly overpaying" to use a space within the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C.

According to the lawsuit, former inaugural committee deputy chairman Rick Gates "personally managed" the negotiations for the event space at the Trump hotel.

Gates ultimately formed an agreement with the hotel's managing director and Trump family members to cover the cost to reserve the event space for a total of four days. The rate was reportedly set at $175,000 per day for the committee to hold the space.

The lawsuit also highlights a discussion between Gates and Ivanka Trump in December of 2016. At the time, he claimed he was "a bit worried about the optics of PIC [Presidential Inaugural Committee] paying Trump Hotel a high fee and the media making a big story out of it," according to the lawsuit. This indicates that the president's daughter was well aware of the price gauging that took place.

In addition to Ivanka Trump and Gates being deposed, the attorney general office's filing has also revealed subpoenas of multiple others including the chairman of the inaugural committee, Tom Barrack and First Lady Melania Trump.

Alan Garten, general counsel for the Trump Organization, released a statement on behalf of Ivanka Trump insisting her involvement was not contentious.

"Ms. Trump's only involvement was connecting the parties and instructing the hotel to charge a 'fair market rate', which the hotel did," Gartan said in a statement to CNN.

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