NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York judge on Thursday ordered the appointment of an independent watchdog to oversee the Trump organization ahead of a civil suit filed by the New York State Attorney General on tax evasion charges against the Donald Trump’s company.
State Attorney General Letitia James accuses the former Republican president, his company and three of his sons of overestimating the net worth of their assets and is demanding $ 250 million (€ 256.46 million) in repairs.
Last month, Letitia James asked Judge Arthur Engoron to appoint an independent monitor in an effort to put an end to ongoing fraud in the company and prevent the transfer of assets.
Arthur Engoron said the appointment of a monitor is “the most prudent and strictly personalized mechanism to ensure that there is no further fraud or illegality,” citing “persistent misstatements” in Donald Trump’s financial statements from 2011 to 2021.
Donald Trump called the New York judge’s decision “ridiculous”.
“A puppet judge of the New York Attorney General and other sworn enemies of President Trump and the Republican Party has just issued a decision never seen anywhere in America,” said Donald Trump. “It is communism that is coming to our shores”.
According to the Trump Organization, the move “sets a dangerous precedent for government interference in private companies and is a clear attempt to influence the outcome of the upcoming elections”, referring to the mid-term elections scheduled for next week.
Letitia James in a statement called the decision a “great victory” that will prevent Donald Trump and his companies from prosecuting “the vast fraud we have uncovered”.
Both sides have until November 10 to recommend three candidates for the position of controller.
(Reporting by Karen Freifeld and Jonathan Stempel in New York; French version by Kate Entringer)
