Ivanka Trump is the latest executive to show boardroom fog in the midst of a civil or criminal investigation. She was unable to recall the title of a fellow Trump Organization executive. Her answer to "Who is Allen Weiselberg?"
“He is the — I would have to see what his, his — I don’t know his exact title but he’s an executive at the company.”
Recall Ivanka is employed by the Trump Organization and consulted for the company to the tune of almost $750,000.
Forbes wrote:
In recent years, Ivanka has led the Trump Organization on some of its biggest deals…and has been given credit by those she’s negotiated with for her diligence and hard work.
Her father said "Ivanka specializes in acquisitions and design." One of Ivanka's acquisitions was Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C. The investigation targeted stratospheric hotel rates during Trump's inauguration.
Ivanka would have been paid by Allen Weiselberg. Her expenses would've been reimbursed by Allen Weiselberg. She would have negotiated deals with input from Allen Weiselberg.
Her inability to "recall" Allen Weiselberg's title set the stage for other memory failures regarding the investigation. This is a common practice by executives in trouble with the law.
After a refinery explosion killed 15 people and injured 180, BP's Lord John Browne went to the Supreme Court to avoid giving testimony. BP's executive in charge of refinery operations lost his memory under questioning from plaintiff's attorneys.
Lord John Browne was finally deposed and appeared to be quite clueless. BP CEO Tony Hayward also got boardroom fog after BP's giant Gulf of Mexico Oil Spew.
Private equity underwrites like hiring smart executives after they recover from boardroom fog. Browne went to Carlyle Group partner Riverstone Holdings. Carlyle had its own refinery explosion in Philadelphia. Hayward joined Vallares PLC, funded by Nathanial Rothschild.
Boardroom fog is a desirable skill of corporate chiefs, however jarring it may be to the general public.
Update 7-18-21: The latest high profile person infected with memory fog is Jeffrey Epstein's underage girl recruiter Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell "cannot even recall a single flight on Epstein's private jet with Ms Giuffre, even though flight logs show that (Maxwell) had 23 flights with Ms Giuffre while Ms Giuffre was underage."
Update 10-31-21: Prince Andrew skipped the fog by going from straight-up denial that he sexually assaulted an underage Guiffre to impugning her character.
Update 12-31-21: A jury found Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of sex trafficking underage girls.
Update 11-8-23: Ivanka Trump testified in her father's civil trial for financial fraud.
In composed and succinct responses, she repeatedly said she did not recall specifics, or was not aware.
In this case it's Executive Vice President fog.
Update 11-12-23: A former aide to Ivanka in the Trump White House said:
“I don’t buy that she doesn’t recall things. Ivanka Trump is a very, very smart woman and has an amazing memory. I used to actually always marvel about that when I worked with her.”
"Despite being presented with ample emails and other documentary evidence demonstrating the critical role she played in the negotiation, Ms. Trump professed to have no memory of any of the events of the loan negotiation or the agreed upon terms."
"But the court found her inconsistent recall, depending on whether she was questioned by OAG or the defense, suspect."
