Although this ruling greatly harmed Trump, he was given a slight reprieve to appoint an independent monitor.
Judge Engoron also could have appointed a receiver to oversee Trump's business, who would have had greater control over its operations, explains Steve Cohen of New York Law School.
Although having an independent monitor represents serious oversight, it is a slightly less risky option.
“Instead of putting them in a straitjacket, in a locked room, under guard, they're handcuffed, in a locked room, under guard,” Cohen says.
However, the independent monitor would have broad power to keep Trump's actions in line.
The monitor, Barbara Jones, will appoint an independent compliance director to work under her — and the Trump Organization will have to pay him.
“By installing this additional layer, this compliance director, he's someone who actually sits in the Trump Organization, and nothing can come out, nothing can be released without that person's approval. It's a big deal and it certainly has to have an impact on stopping Anything says Diana Florence, a former federal prosecutor: “Errors in financial records.”
