A New York state judge on Thursday ordered that an independent monitor be appointed to oversee the Trump Organization before a civil fraud case by the state's attorney general against Donald Trump's company goes to trial.
The judge, Justice Arthur Engoron, is presiding over state Attorney General Letitia James' $250 million lawsuit accusing the former US president, his company and three of his adult children of overvaluing assets and Trump's net worth through a decade of lies to banks and insurers.
Last month, James asked the Manhattan-based judge to appoint a watchdog to halt "staggering" fraud at the company and keep the Trumps from transferring assets out of her reach.