A major Democrat donor linked to Joe Biden is off to the big house.
Former California attorney,ย Tom Girardi, was indicted by federal grand juries on Wednesday in two states for allegedly embezzling more than $18 million from legal clients.
Girardi was considered one of the most prominent attorneys in LA before being disbarred in disgrace in California last year.
The Justice Department announced Girardi, 83, was charged in Los Angeles with five counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum 20-year federal prison sentence. According to prosecutors, the charges were part of an indictment accusing him of embezzling more thanย $15 million from clientsย and using the funds to cover his law firm's payroll and his personal expenses.
Girardi, his relatives, and employees gave at least $7.5 million in political contributions to candidates and political committees, from city council races to presidential campaigns, according to a 2020 analysis by the Los Angeles Times. Most of that money went to Democrats, including Biden, for whom Girardi also hosted a fundraiser in LA during the 2020 presidential cycle.
In addition to Biden, Girardi has given tens of thousands of dollars each to other high-profile Democrat lawmakers like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom reportedly received a total of $87,600 from Girardi for his 2018 gubernatorial campaign and a total of $8,500 for his 2014 lieutenant governor campaign.
According to Fox News, the case also includes charges against Christopher Kamon, the former chief financial officer of Girardi's LA-based law firm, Girardi Keese.
In Chicago, meanwhile, Girardi, his son-in-law David Lira, and Kamon were charged withย eight countsย of wire fraud and four counts of contempt of court. Prosecutors allege the trio stole more than $3 million in settlement funds meant for family members of those who died in a Boeing plane crash off the coast of Indonesia.
Over the last decade, Girardi and his estranged wife, โReal Housewives of Beverly Hillsโ reality TV star Erika Jayne, gave more than $2 million to the national Democratic Party and individual candidates, according to election filings. And that was despite Girardi reportedly defaulting on high-interest loans and being forced to liquidate his stock portfolio.
Girardi's deep pockets and status as both a celebrity and high-powered attorney reportedly gave him easy and intimate access to Democrats both on Capitol Hill and in the California governor's mansion.
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1 Comment
So, you admit it. You were in cahoots with Girardi in embezzlement, wire fraud, and illegal political donations too?
Do tell. We’re all ears and waiting………………………