The website LAMag.com released a very lengthy and detailed piece (have Sutton read it to you if necessary) that has a lot of new information and all of the things we already know in chronological order making it all a whole lot clearer.
I found all of this information on Tom’s second divorce (Erika was third I think) very interesting. It seems very clear and publicly know that Tom Girardi had been stealing client funds, and referral funds from other attorneys for DECADES. Probably since the 1980s.
This Information From Tom Girardi’s Second Divorce Is Eye Opening
Girardi’s second divorce, filed in 1998, stretched on for four years, nearly as long as the marriage itself, thanks largely to Girardi’s stalling tactics. The case file contains more than 10,000 pages and includes snapshots of Girardi’s life at the time. He and Kathy Risner lived in the same 10,000-square-foot Pasadena mansion that Girardi lived in with Jayne.
“If anything, Tom was more extravagant in his choices for my clothing than I,” Risner wrote in a declaration. “He would think nothing of paying as much as $5,000 for a dress for me to wear to one of the many bar functions, charity balls, or client dinners that we regularly attended.” They traveled constantly on their private jets and ate out almost every night at “the finest West Side restaurants.”
A forensic accountant, Alfred Warsavsky, was hired by Risner to dig through Tom Girardi’s finances, and they were a mess: personal expenses charged as business expenses, millions of dollars shifted from account to account without explanation. Worst of all, Warsavsky found that Tom Girardi was dipping into his client trust account, an escrow account for settlements to pass through on the way from defendant to plaintiff. A lawyer can use the money in the account to pay for fees, including his own, but, by law, records must be kept. Withdrawing money from the trust account for personal use is grounds for disbarment and even criminal prosecution.
It you have the time and the inclination, click on the link above for the entire story. Why was nothing done to this Tom Girardi after the second divorce? I get he was buying judges and other influences with victim’s money. But is there no ETHICAL Ethics oversight? It’s a travesty. All of the enablers need to go down with him.
What made him so “powerful?” Buying judges and politicians only goes so far. He’s a nobody! Just odd he got away with it this long.
He was powerful BECUASE he bought off judges and politicians. If a client can’t even get to file a case against him because of his connections that’s a win for him right there. Surely many tried to bring him to justice but Tom’s deep pockets, filled w their money, stopped them at every turn. Very greasy. BTW Erika knew.
I agree Erika knows. That is why she kept spinning the narrative to nonsensical stories. This is all a game to her.
It’s just strange that they would keep up the con to protect Tom for decades!
Travesty and eye opening, indeed. Just reading the introduction about the plane crash again is heartbreaking. What a piece of shit slime ball. I couldn’t agree with your last paragraph more. Where the fuck was the oversight? I’m having a hard time believing that his partners from back then to the shit hitting the fan were in the dark. If it was exposed during the first divorce how was he not disbarred then? No way she was in the absolute dark. Nofa king way. And while he’s super convincing regarding the dementia, I don’t trust him for shit. I mean, I’m aware that life is not fair but it’s just so damn disheartening to think that he just got away with it all and is too out of it to have even a shred of remorse. My heart goes out to anyone he has stolen from and further ruined which seems to be a LOT more people and for a LOT longer time than originally thought. Shame on every single person who turned a blind eye and/or enabled the grift. An excellent example of a sociopath in the light of day; they are quite literally everywhere. It sickens me.
And fuck Erika ten ways to Sunday. Her RHOBH shtick of crying victim is even more offensive after reading this. Again. These issues were out there in the first batch of stuff that so many found difficult to read, and I’ve slept since then. But it makes my blood boil to read it put so plainly, succinctly. And it’s so obvious that Bravo is further lining her pockets in order to boost their lack of programming and new content. How agonizing for the victims to see this. My God, is everyone an asshole these days? What happened to integrity? How was he not caught before he even met Erika? I mean, in any community, anywhere, in any state, these things are rarely a surprise to the locals. You can’t tell me people who were in the law community and social circles didn’t have gossip sessions ad nausea about this crap. Why did no one stop him/them sooner?
As aside, I’ve seen multiple videos and articles about his stupid Perry Mason story that seemed to be regurgitated over and over. “Folksy”, and ostentatious… did no one ever get curious about the bullshit bragging and story telling and do a deep dive on him? Do we know which sibling is his conservator? I have wondered about that and his kids since this all came about, especially since the son in law was a partner; and if they had a clue. I get that you would want to turn a blind eye to your father’s/sibling’s icky grift, but hopefully they (nor the custodial sibling) didn’t/don’t profit from ill gotten gains, too. I also wonder if they get the dough presumably and allegedly stashed in Swiss bank accounts when he croaks. Surely a lien can be put on his estate?
IJC,
All of his assets and Erika’s are frozen. However, Erika’s $1.6 million in income from last season may be exempt at this point as that is clearly her own separate income now that the divorce is filed. So until she has a judgement against her personally, she has plenty of money.
In other news, I posted a link to a second article in this post that breaks down how deep his clutches were on all the elected officials and the ethics committee, etc. He really owned them all. It’s very interesting and infuriating as well.
It makes me wonder how many others are in his position. From both major parties.
For decades, we’ve come to cynically believe this was the case — up to the highest level. But when it is a person we thought had a sense of honor, it seems even slimier.
Great reply. Tom will burn in hell for his actions. Erica knew then and knows now. She too should be held accountable. I feel violated and dirty and I’m not a victim. I can’t even imagine what the victims feel reading these articles.
Side note, I think Sutton should read the articles while being video taped and then posting the tapes on line, like an audio book.
So you think Tom’s partners were in the dark but Erika knew everything? The reverse makes much more sense.
It was going on long before Erika entered the picture. Several wives before Erika entered the picture, and let’s face it, he didn’t marry her for her brains.
I think Erika knew based on legal documents. I also think the partners had to have known. I think Keese has a lawsuit against Tom Girardi as well, as Tom was technically stealing money from the firm as well and partners were not always paid.
For clarification I believe they all knew & have known for a very long time which is why I pointed out that it’s been going on since before he even met Erika. I was only questioning how much his own children were aware of consciously. Either your reading comprehension is lacking or I didn’t communicate effectively. Either way, I read every word of everything that has been posted including links. I blame everyone who was complicit. Period. Including the partners and the people responsible for oversight. Only clarifying since you replied to me. I think everyone else got the gist of what I was trying to say. Bottom line: the real tragedy here is what the victims have been forced to endure. If I was unclear, apologies to all. 🙃
I guess there is a certain personality trait that start small ripping people off or cheating on something/someone if they get away with it once they try it again and they up the ante there was a president and his entire family who have learned they can do all of this, and they are still doing it.
Thank you TT for sharing these stories with us. It is unfathomable to see his unscrupulous business practices went on for years and years and he was never stopped. It makes the divorce and dementia claims feel like just another sham they cooked up to wiggle out of accountability.
The level of corruption by this man runs deep. I consider all those lawyers who knew of his mishandling of the funds to be guilty also. I hope there is some accountability for them also. Their complicity allowed this to go on for many years more than it needed to.
After reading this, my low opinion of that Not So Pretty Mess has dropped even lower. I just don’t think I can ever watch RHOBH again as long as she is on there making bank being a fucking greedy bitch. No way.
I think it is like what Sutton said or she said that someone else said, he ran a ponzi scheme. He would take money from one settlement and use it for personal expenses and pay it back with funds from another settlement. It finally caught up with him. I image it was a combination of factors, over time he got greedier and took more, but couldn’t make it up as fast, and possibly his age and mental state made it harder to cover his tracks.
Not to mention his wife flaunting their luxurious lifestyle on national television. I’m sure her antics made the wronged clients speak up. This whole thing is disgusting.
Shit I hit a paywall. Isn’t this why Frank from NJ was disbarred? I would LOVE to know the real story on that! I am at work so I will try and read it throughout the day today when it isn’t busy. Which is never. Thanks for the piping hot tea!
I am going to try and access the story somehow else. DYING to read it.
Putting her income of 1.6 million out there. I bet her new landlord is chomping at the bit the raise it $$$$$$$ and I hope they do!
As officers of the court, lawyers are supposed to be held to a higher ethical standard than most people. Most lawyers I know would be afraid to break the law. These people playing a long con throughout their lives must have some psychological disorder. I am not a doctor, but I don’t know how else to explain it.
How about that Jen Shaw show on hulu?
Oh snap. I just saw where you posted the Shaw diaries. Thank you.
With lawyer fees, that 1.6 million isn’t going far.
It will go far enough. She’ll make at least that much for the new season that is already filming. So Over three million in income plus whatever dick sucking income she has, she’s going to be just fine. That is until a judgement comes requiring her to pay back the $28 million she received in one document in cash, and the millions she spent on the company Amex card. But by that time, she could very well be at Camp Cupcake.