Mystery State Bar Witness Tied to Investigation Into Tom Girardi Faces Contempt After Blowing Off Subpoena!
The State Bar of California has accused a confidential witness tied to the investigation into The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Erika Jayne’s estranged husband, Tom Girardi, of blowing off answering questions about the ongoing case.
Court documents reveal that a new complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court reveals that the witness was served with a valid investigatory subpoena. The subpoena directed the person to testify and to hand over relevant documents to the case. The State Bar did not identify the gender of the witness.
The State Bar is demanding that the individual be ordered to appear before the court to give an explanation, after failing to comply with the subpoena. The California State Bar is currently conducting a confidential investigation into the once famed lawyer, who was accused of misappropriating settlement funds to support his lavish lifestyle with the reality star. The Bravo star has denied any involvement in Tom’s alleged crimes.
Tom and his since-shuttered law firm, Girardi Keese, were pushed into bankruptcy in 2020. The judge presiding over the firm’s bankruptcy recently ordered the reality star to surrender a pair of diamond earrings gifted to her by Tom during their marriage. Erika appealed the decision, and references to the legal tug-of-war were featured on the currently airing RHOBH season.
The trustee overseeing Tom’s bankruptcy case previously sued the Bravo star to turn over the earrings, which were purchased in 2007. The trustee alleged that funds held in a client trust account at Girardi’s defunct law firm were used to purchase the diamonds.
On June 28, a Los Angeles judge ruled that Erika must hand over the earrings because they were paid for with misappropriated settlement money. The judge put the trustee in “possession and control” of the earrings, ordering him to hold the property until the jewelry could be appraised, “at which time the Trustee may notice a sale of the diamond earrings.”
The judge noted that Erika’s supposed lack of awareness of Tom’s alleged crimes had no relevance, and ordered that the earrings be turned over as property of the estate. The reality star’s appeal was filed a month later.
The State Bar launched its investigation in January. The probe is seeking to determine if any of its own employees or other powerful insiders worked to cover up Tom’s alleged misdeeds. The investigation is ongoing.
The State Bar’s lawsuit stated—“The confidential investigation at issue here concerns the State Bar’s handling of complaints against Mr. Girardi, a now-disbarred licensee of the State Bar.”
Documents state that their identified witness has “information relevant to the investigation” but has refused to cooperate. The witness was subpoenaed to appear for a deposition on August 11. The individual’s lawyer spoke to the law firm conducting the probe but seemingly refused to encourage compliance. The lawyer claimed that the subpoena was improper, but the California Bar wants the witness held in contempt if the standoff continues.
The judge has not yet ruled on the case.
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Avigail is an Entertainment blogger at All About The Tea, who specializes in The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Potomac. Avigail has a background in marketing. She’s a Brooklynite living in the Bahamas, with a passion for travel, writing, reality TV watching, pop culture and spoken word.