We’ve always known that it’s expensive to be Erika Jayne. For years, she sang us these exact lyrics on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. In turn, we’ve (or maybe it’s just me) agreed, crying into our couch snacks over the rising costs of living. However, Tom Girardi, Erika’s now-estranged boo, possibly gave Erika’s career one boost too many, or so the prosecutors will soon be claiming.
An update on the case against Tom
On Bravo, it’s often about a Tom, but this particular Tom is my least favorite. This is because he’s currently awaiting a trial, and the charges against him suck. You see, Tom, a once-successful plaintiffs’ lawyer, stands accused of theft, with the stolen funds coming directly out of his clients’ settlement funds. It’s gross, and these revictimized orphans and widows deserve their day in court.
But, where did all of these stolen funds go? According to the Los Angeles Times, a lot of it went towards Erika’s musical career. More than $25 million, to be exact.
In a recent court filing, prosecutors noted that they plan on attacking Tom’s misappropriated funds from his law firm, Girardi Keese, which covered the “illegitimate expenses” of EJ Global LLC. This is a company that Tom formed to aid Erika’s career in the entertainment field.
“By directing Girardi Keese accounting personnel to make these payments for the benefit of EJ Global, defendant [Tom] Girardi knowingly and intentionally funneled payments sourced from client funds for the improper personal enrichment of his family members,” prosecutors wrote.
Tom Girardi used client money to fund his wife’s entertainment career, prosecutors say https://t.co/GsN1RM9qbT
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) June 22, 2024
Prosecutors are primarily taking this route due to what Tom’s attorneys just revealed at a hearing. Here, Deputy Public Defender Charles Snyder revealed that the defense is going to try and blame the law firm’s CFO, Christopher Kamon. This guy is currently facing separate federal prosecution charges. He allegedly ran a “side fraud,” also using embezzled funds from the firm.
The prosecution isn’t phased though. They plan on proving that Tom was also a major thief, using his funds paid for Erika’s company as proof.
To note, Erika is not standing accused of any wrongdoing in this matter.
Catch up with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills available on Peacock.