‘Massive Tax Fraud’: Creditor Of Erika Jayne’s Husband Demands Trial In Battle With Bravo Star Over $5 Million
Aug. 22 2022, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne will be headed before a jury if her husband Tom Girardi’s creditors get their way in court, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the Law Office of Philip R. Sheldon and the law firm of Robert F. Finn — who sued Jayne — are opposing her request to dismiss all claims against her.
The firms believe their case against the RHOBH star is strong and they are demanding the case go to trial despite her attempts to escape it.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, back in June, Jayne was sued by the Law Office of Philip R. Sheldon and the law firm of Robert F. Finn.
The lawsuit was originally filed against Jayne’s husband Tom Girardi and his law firm Girardi Keese but she was added months later. The plaintiffs are seeking $5 million in damages.
The firms who filed suit claim to have referred thousands of legal cases to Girardi and his law firm, “pursuant to an agreement to share in the attorneys’ fees paid when the cases settled.”
The lawyers suing, “are both seniors who devoted the twilight years of their careers to working on these cases with the promise and expectation that they would have the resources necessary to retire once Girardi paid them for the services they performed.”
The lawyers accused Girardi of hiding money owed to them and refusing to pay up. They believe the once-respected lawyer “embezzled and redirected the funds to family members, friends, partners, lenders, and creditors, and used the money to fund outrageously lavish lifestyles for himself and his wife Erika Jayne, who is better known as one of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
“To avoid paying Plaintiffs the amounts owed, Girardi and his firm “loaned” millions of dollars to Girardi’s wife, and then filed a sham “divorce” to fraudulently keep the money from Plaintiffs and other vulnerable victims,” the suit read.
In response, Jayne argued the fee-split and fee-sharing agreement the lawyers claimed they entered into with her husband “blatantly violated and did not comply with the applicable California Rules of Professional Conduct.”
“There is no evidence – because it never happened – that [Jayne], a non-attorney, allegedly managed or directed the financial affairs of [Girardi Keese], whether related to the transactions between GK and Plaintiffs or otherwise.”
As a result, she said all claims against her should be dismissed.
Now, the Law Office of Philip R. Sheldon and the law firm of Robert F. Finn are asking the court to shut down Jayne’s attempt to have all claims against her dismissed.
They argue, “Erika Girardi is the single largest beneficiary of the single largest fraud by a law firm in the history of California.”
“With her help, Ms. Girardi’s husband, Tom Girardi, and his son-in-law, Defendant David Lira, stole more than $100 million from clients and attorneys like Plaintiffs Philip Sheldon and Robert Finn who referred the clients, and Ms. Girardi spent much of that money financing her lavish lifestyle and her expensive and unprofitable dream to become a pop star.”
The lawyers argue, “[Jayne] admits that she signed all the tax returns for her company EJ Global, LLC, which received at least $25 million from Girardi Keese, and facilitated a massive tax fraud by her, her husband and Girardi Keese. The “career” she had was the conduit for the tax fraud.”
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The firms argued Jayne, “now conveniently claims she didn’t know anything, she just signed whatever she was asked to sign under penalty of perjury, gave whatever sworn testimony she was asked to give, and didn’t ask any questions of anyone, despite access to numerous attorneys and accountants.”
They are demanding the court reject Jayne’s defense and allow the case to go to trial where Jayne will have to testify.
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