Judge Arthur Engoron, hearing an enormous civil scam lawsuit against Donald Trump acceded to the requests by the Attorney General of New York, Letitia James, to ensure that the business empire of the former President is placed under independent monitoring.
The acting Supreme Court Justice of Manhattan issued the order following arguments by the Attorney General’s office, which sought his appointment and filed a lawsuit and Trump’s lawyer.
Trump’s lawyer argued that the AG lacked the legal standing and the authority to seek any preliminary injunction to appoint a monitor or to pursue any lawsuit.
Judge Engoron wrote that the defendants were wrong. Donald Trump’s legal team had earlier sought to have the judge removed from the case.
Judge Engoran’s Ruling Ties Down Donald Trump’s Companies From Disposing Property Without Informing The Court
The ruling by Judge Engoran effectively bars Donald Trump’s Organization from transferring, selling, or in any way disposing of non-cash possessions without initially providing a 14-day advance notice to the office of the Attorney General and also the court.
In a significant move, Judge Engoran has ordered the selection of the monitor to make sure that the Trump Organization complies with the order.
Any planned reorganization will also be under strict monitoring with the Judge ordering the businesses owned by Donald Trump to give a month’s advance notification in case of any intended restructuring or reorganization.
Judge Morgan has given up until November 10 for submitting the names of a maximum of three candidates both from the layers representing Donald Trump and state officials.
Judge Engoran wrote that the court had found that the selection of a monitor was a prudent and tailored mechanism that will ensure the omission of any further illegality or fraud till the disposition of the case.
The judge further ruled that the defendants had failed to provide proof of the absence of persistent fraud. The decision is sure to be appealed by Trump.