Bankruptcy Shocker! 'RHOBH' Star Erika Jayne’s Husband Tom Girardi & His ‘Cohorts’ Accused Of Stealing $14 Million+ From Clients
Sep. 1 2022, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne’s husband Tom Girardi has been hit with shocking new allegations as part of his now-closed law firm’s Chapter 7, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the trustee presiding over the bankruptcy of Girardi’s firm Girardi Keese has filed a new lawsuit as part of her investigation into his finances.
The new case was brought against two litigation lenders who worked with Girardi and his firm. The trustee said the companies claim to be owed $15 million dollars, but she will be fighting the request.
The lawsuit contained new information about the investigation into Girardi and his finances. As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the trustee took full control of both his books and assets after his creditors pushed him into Chapter 7 in 2020.
The trustee started off the lawsuit by explaining the $2 million Girardi stands accused of stealing from a group or orphans and widows. Girardi represented family members of those who lost loved ones in a Boeing plane crash.
In court documents, the family members said Girardi failed to pay them $2 million from a settlement. Instead, they said he used the money to fund his lavish lifestyle with Jayne.
The trustee said the $2 million owed, “while shocking and unconscionable, is only the tip of the iceberg.”
The filing stated, “The Trustee’s investigation of the Firm’s financial records revealed that over the last ten years, Thomas and his cohorts stole at least $14,000,000 in settlement funds that should have gone to the Firm’s clients.”
Further, the trustee said Girardi used the firm’s trust account as “his personal piggy bank” depositing over $41 million into the account to cover checks he had issued from the account to support his lavish lifestyle. “The deposits were insufficient to cover his use of the funds,” the trustee explained.
The lawsuit revealed there have been 682 claims filed against the Estate totaling, to date, totaling $495,912,891.48.
The trustee said while Girardi was stiffing his business partners and clients, the once-respected lawyer was spending millions of dollars ‘on cars, furs, clothes, trips, and jewelry and other items for himself, his celebrity “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” wife, Erika, and other friends and Girardi Keese employees and partners.”
“His indulgences included five country club- golf memberships, memberships in city clubs, automobiles (Ferrari and Lamborghini sports cars), boats, two planes, houses in Malibu and in the Palm Springs area, luxury yachting trips in the Mediterranean, and a penchant for giving expensive gifts of jewelry and the like,” the suit read.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Jayne was recently ordered to return a pair of diamond earrings Girardi had purchased her during their marriage. Records showed the set was purchased with his client’s money.
The earrings are set to be auctioned off along with items Girardi had gifted his mistress.