A well-known former lawyer, Tom Girardi, who generously donated to the Democratic Party and supported President Biden through fundraising, was charged with federal grand juries in two states on Wednesday for alleged embezzlement of over $18 million from his legal clients.
The Department of Justice declared that Girardi, 83, faces five counts of wire fraud in Los Angeles, which carries a potential federal prison sentence of 20 years. Prosecutors claim that the charges stem from Girardi’s indictment for allegedly stealing more than $15 million from clients and using the money to finance his law firm’s payroll and personal expenses.
The indictment also implicates Christopher Kamon, Girardi’s former chief financial officer at his LA-based law firm, Girardi Keese, accusing the two of engaging in a fraudulent scheme that led to the firm’s collapse in late 2020.
In Chicago, Girardi, his son-in-law David Lira, and Kamon were charged with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of contempt of court. The charges allege that the trio took over $3 million in settlement funds intended for the families of victims in a Boeing plane crash off the coast of Indonesia.
These indictments are the latest chapter in Girardi’s disgraceful downfall, who was once one of the most respected lawyers in LA before being disbarred in California last year.
Girardi had close connections to various influential Democratic politicians including Presidents, presidential candidates, members of Congress, governors, and mayors, through his generosity and extravagant spending on fundraisers.
Girardi and his associates gave a minimum of $7.5 million in political contributions to various campaigns, from city council races to presidential races, according to the Los Angeles Times’ 2020 analysis. The majority of these contributions went to the Democratic Party, including Biden, who was also hosted by Girardi in a luxurious fundraiser in LA during the 2020 presidential cycle.
The White House referred Fox News Digital to the Democratic National Committee for comment but the committee did not respond immediately.
In addition to Biden, Girardi has donated thousands of dollars each to politicians such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and many other elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.
California Governor Gavin Newsom received a total of $87,600 from Girardi for his 2018 gubernatorial campaign and $8,500 for his 2014 lieutenant governor campaign, as per campaign finance records.
In the past decade, Girardi and his estranged wife, reality TV star Erika Jayne from “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” gave over $2 million to the national Democratic Party and individual candidates, despite Girardi’s reported default on high-interest loans and forced liquidation of his stock portfolio.
Girardi’s wealth and reputation as a celebrity lawyer reportedly granted him easy access to Democrats in Capitol Hill and California’s governor’s mansion.
However, as his legal issues worsened, Girardi’s extravagant lifestyle came to a halt, culminating in Wednesday’s indictments.
In addition to losing his political influence, Girardi is currently going through a divorce from Jayne, who filed for separation in 2020 after 21 years of marriage. The two were featured together on Jayne’s reality show.
