Ivanka Trump Not 'Chatty', But Helpful In Jan. 6 Probe

On Tuesday, Ivanka Trump testified before the Jan. 6 committee that is investigating last year's US Capitol riot in which her dad Donald Trump's supporters tried to overturn his defeat in the presidential election.

The committee’s chairman, Bennie Thompson, said on Tuesday afternoon that she was not “chatty,” but had been answering investigators’ questions on a video teleconference since the morning. She had been helpful, and Thompson said that she "came in on her own” and did not have to be subpoenaed, reported The Guardian.

A source told Reuters that her testimony started on Tuesday morning and ended around 6 pm. The 40-year-old was asked for her account of her father's activities as the crisis unfolded last year, reported BBC. The former senior White House adviser was one of several aides who reportedly tried to convince Trump to condemn the violence.

Ivanka is one of more than 800 witnesses the panel has interviewed so far in connection with the investigation. She is the first of Trump’s children known to speak to the committee and one of the closest people to the former US President. It is not known whether she gave the committee new information or not, but her decision to cooperate was significant for the committee. The nine-member panel had been trying to secure an interview with Ivanka since late January.

The committee wants to know what Trump was doing as his supporters broke into the Capitol and interrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. During the process, lawmakers and staff fled for their lives. While Ivanka's testimony took place in private, public hearings are expected to happen in May.

Ivanka's testimony came after that of her husband, Jared Kushner, who is a fellow former presidential adviser. He spoke to the committee for more than six hours last week. Kushner's testimony was described as "helpful" by a Democratic member of the committee.

After his testimony, Jamie Raskin, a Democratic member of the committee, said that there’s a "momentum to this process when there’s cooperation." The member added that when people see that "others are doing the right thing, it gives them the courage to do the right thing.”