The judge who doomed Donald Trump’s family business last week took an aggressive and preemptive step on Wednesday to ensure the former president can't secretly shift assets to salvage his real estate empire.
In an order that was posted on the fourth day of the former president’s bank fraud trial, Justice Arthur F. Engoron commanded that the Trumps identify any corporations they have—and come clean about any plans to move around money in an attempt to hide or keep their wealth.
It's a powerful maneuver meant to counter the sort of underhanded moves Trump has displayed so far during the three-year investigation.
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Trump, sons Don Jr. and Eric, and two other top executives were ordered to tell the court about “any other entity [that] is controlled or beneficially owned” by them, “any creation of a new entity to hold or acquire the assets,” and “any anticipated transfer of assets.”
The judge also empowered a court-appointed monitor currently babysitting the Trump Organization, a former federal judge named Barbara Jones, to manage this phase until someone can be appointed to disintegrate Trump’s companies.
