RHoBH in the Media

[Jennifersdc]

Interesting news. I expected at least a couple of people would eventually get indicted over this. And I think Girardi has money stashed away off-shore. Let’s see if they can find it.

I still think Erika didn’t know or know enough to be criminally liable (she did sign those joint tax returns though). As we’ve discovered she’s a dumb twat (trying to think of something more offensive than cunt). I think she’s got some serious issues civil wise.

And you dumb twat - the IRS is not going away.

[realityplease]

Update to Kumon bail hearing this a.m.:  Bail denied; Kumon to be held until trial.  Deemed a flight risk.  Likely to be transferred to L.A. for trial as the criminal complaint filed in USDC CA, Central Dist., L.A.

Kumon recently moved to the Bahamas to avoid prosecution.  Dumb move - the Bahamas have an extradition agreement with the U.S. - it's no safe haven.  Don't know what prompted a return to the U.S.  Something about a recent US girlfriend who he met through an escort service.

Kumon's defense counsel argued as to past subpoenas that he was merely a clerk (tho titled Chief Financial Officer) & just taking orders (& signing critical docs).  Laughable.  Just like Erika just signed docs but didn't know what Tom was doing. (Sorry, you're deemed to have read & understood what you sign - even if you didn't.  Just ask NJ's Teresa Guidice if that argument kept her out of prison. It did not.)

In addition to the criminal wire fraud complaint, Kumon is a named defendant (co-conspirator) with Erika Girardi, Girardi's son-in-law, David Lira (a G&K attorney 'til he jumped ship before the bankruptcy), a loan company, & others in the federal civil RICO lawsuit filed last April.  (The one served on Erika when she got off the plane from her Hawaii trip with Rinna & Diana.)  

Edited November 10, 2022 by realityplease

[realityplease]

Kamon allegedly embezzled $10 million in a side-hustle -- separate  from the $100 million Tom took. The poor clients/victims didn't stand a chance! One vulture after another! 

Kamon earned $350,000 a year as Girardi's CFO but not permitted to post bond -- not only a flight risk but also the court didn't trust that the source of any bond money wasn't dirty.  Kamon has family in Baltimore, thus, his trips from MD to the Bahamas - where he intended to buy a $2.2 million home & become a permanent resident.  Foiled! 

Edited November 10, 2022 by realityplease

[SweetieDarling]

7 minutes ago, realityplease said:

Kamon allegedly embezzled $10 million in a side-hustle -- separate & apart from the $100 million Tom took

I would imagine this would make it more likely for him to throw Erika under the bus in a hypothetical plea deal. Is it wrong that the thought that this is plausible gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside?

ETA: he still should be punished for his role in all of this, but for Erika to finally meet her comeuppance? 🍿

Edited November 10, 2022 by SweetieDarling

[hoodooznoodooz]

3 hours ago, SweetieDarling said:

I would imagine this would make it more likely for him to throw Erika under the bus in a hypothetical plea deal. Is it wrong that the thought that this is plausible gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside?

ETA: he still should be punished for his role in all of this, but for Erika to finally meet her comeuppance? 🍿

It makes me euphoric!!!

[ivygirl]

I'll be honest: I can't wait until all these people are held accountable, and to read the inevitable book that comes out about all of it--especially if proceeds go to the victims these creeps stole from. It's so horrible, it sounds like fiction; and sadly it's anything but. 

[Keywestclubkid]

was ANYONE paid what they were supposed to with this firm? like that is A LOT of money they stole how the F**k did this not get noticed way before now?

[Jennifersdc]

2 hours ago, Keywestclubkid said:

was ANYONE paid what they were supposed to with this firm? like that is A LOT of money they stole how the F**k did this not get noticed way before now?

Unfortunately because the State Bar of California ignored/dismissed for lack of evidence the hundred or so complaints filed against Girardi for years until they couldn’t. I really hope somebody sues them.

[realityplease]

5 hours ago, Jennifersdc said:

Unfortunately because the State Bar of California ignored/dismissed for lack of evidence the hundred or so complaints filed against Girardi for years until they couldn’t. I really hope somebody sues them.

The State Bar of CA is presently under investigation by an appointed independent prosecutor looking at the 40 years or more the State Bar gave a blind-eye to Girardi's misdeeds & dismissed hundreds of complaints. 

Back a decade or so (?) ago, Girardi often associated co-counsel, Walter Lack (& vice versa) to pursue cases.  Lack was suspended (for 6 months?) & Girardi reprimanded by the federal (not state) court when discovered that Lack & Girardi tried to release hundreds of millions of dollars to themselves in a lawsuit  where they screwed up the name of the defendant (Dole?) & shouldn't have been able to claim the money at all because the judgment was faulty.  Though the fed court did something, the state bar did NOTHING.

No doubt Erika went to many dinners, events, airplane rides, cruises etc., with the State Bar yutz(es) who protected Girardi.  One State Bar yutz's son even worked at the Girardi firm.

Edited November 11, 2022 by realityplease

[Jennifersdc]

According to the LA Times (a tabloid according to Erika), all it seems it took to buy off the LA judiciary were some free cruises and some fabulous dinners with performances by Jay Leno, Mariah Carey and the like. I’m sure free rides on a private jet like they were Lala Kent were involved. Disgusting. 

[realityplease]

1 hour ago, Jennifersdc said:

According to the LA Times (a tabloid according to Erika), all it seems it took to buy off the LA judiciary were some free cruises and some fabulous dinners with performances by Jay Leno, Mariah Carey and the like. I’m sure free rides on a private jet like they were Lala Kent were involved. Disgusting. 

Yeah, well, Erika probably thinks Page Six is hard-hitting serious news.  Not that the L.A. Times, like any big city newspaper, isn't sloppy or wrong at times.  The Times reference could mean the LA judiciary - or the CA State Bar - or both - but whichever, the reporters are talking out of their hats.  They couldn't possibly know at this time, for sure, the actual extent of "all it took. . ." to sway anyone.      

No one mentions envelopes with cash -- but there HAD to be more than just a free dinner, ride, cruise, or Vegas trip - and you can bet cash given to them by Tom wasn't reported to the IRS.  Unreported cash is how they got Al Capone - tax issues often get 'em when nothing else sticks.  Not easy. Big paper trail to plow through.    

No one's talking - yet.  Each paid-off scumbag might not know who else was in Tom's pocket.  And Tom, that shyster, knows everything, but had the fastest onset of dementia ever - zooming right into "unable to testify in his own defense" in record time.  Getting the lst domino to fall will be hard - & may be Kamon - but all implicated have a lot to lose - reputations, freedom (from prison) & money.  Let's hope the feds pursuing this have the smarts, skill, patience & determination to get to the bottom of this.    

Edited November 11, 2022 by realityplease

[Jennifersdc]

I meant to add to last post - the LA Times articles are very good. It’s now pay (I don’t subscribe), but somebody here awhile ago gave great advice that if you type in the exact article’s name for most newspapers it generally comes up in yahoo news for free. I need to send them flowers.

[realityplease]

9 hours ago, Keywestclubkid said:

was ANYONE paid what they were supposed to with this firm? like that is A LOT of money they stole how the F**k did this not get noticed way before now?

Girardi's scheme (& Erika's expenses?) ran amok. Tom stole from client settlements to collateralize loans against future payoffs on other cases.  When some settlements or jury verdicts didn't materialize (because he didn't ALWAYS win), or the thefts too great, or some settlements slow to land - his house of cards crashed.  Tom, with "dementia," isn't talking.

Tom's CFO had to know & facilitate Tom's acts. The criminal indictment, reported in the L.A. Times, claims the CFO had his own side-embezzlement going on.  $10 mil to Tom's $100 mil. The CFO isn't talking. (Yet) 

Money was siphoned into Erika's EJ Global, jewelry & who knows what. The CFO could well know what docs Erika signed & what she knew or didn't.  He's not talking. Erika's not talking.

At least 13 victims settled with Tom (per State Bar.) Settlement agreements usually have nondisclosure clauses - no disclosure (other than to say "it's resolved") & if you do, you'll pay a stiff penalty.  So those folks couldn't talk - others couldn't learn of Tom's conduct. 

Erika was on RHoBH each week since 2015 touting Tom's prowess. Or chirping "Resolved. In Tom's favor!"  She's not a party to the settlement & didn't disclose an amount, so those paid weren't likely to spend more $$ to chase her for the erroneous, "In Tom's favor." (Galling!) The "aspiring actress" sure knew her line & to hide Tom's misdeeds with a patina of success.

Girardi may have had folks "on his payroll" at the State Bar or in the judiciary. (Like to think not - but it happens - look at the Greylord payoff scandal in Chicago.)  They're not going to talk - not only because of misconduct & ethics but IRS consequences of undeclared cash.

So yes, it wasn't noticed.  Any potential "whistleblowers" were paid off by Tom or disposed of by Tom's henchman at the State Bar or court or he settled with anyone he needed to keep quiet.  And now everyone's scrambling while Tom is stowed away in assisted living - and maybe still calling the shots - depending on whether one believes the dementia claim.

THAT's how things fail to get noticed -- until Tom got too brazen, took settlement money in a case before a federal Judge who was not one of his local pals (& in the very district where Greylord still stung), where Tom couldn't cover the loss & opposing counsel went after him.

[Jennifersdc]

3 hours ago, realityplease said:

Yeah, well, Erika probably thinks Page Six is hard-hitting serious news.  Not that the L.A. Times, like any big city newspaper, isn't sloppy or wrong at times.  The Times reference could mean the LA judiciary - or the CA State Bar - or both - but whichever, the reporters are talking out of their hats.  They couldn't possibly know at this time, for sure, the actual extent of "all it took. . ." to sway anyone.      

No one mentions envelopes with cash -- but there HAD to be more than just a free dinner, ride, cruise, or Vegas trip - and you can bet cash given to them by Tom wasn't reported to the IRS.  Unreported cash is how they got Al Capone - tax issues often get 'em when nothing else sticks.  Not easy. Big paper trail to plow through.    

No one's talking - yet.  Each paid-off scumbag might not know who else was in Tom's pocket.  And Tom, that shyster, knows everything, but had the fastest onset of dementia ever - zooming right into "unable to testify in his own defense" in record time.  Getting the lst domino to fall will be hard - & may be Kamon - but all implicated have a lot to lose - reputations, freedom (from prison) & money.  Let's hope the feds pursuing this have the smarts, skill, patience & determination to get to the bottom of this.    

In terms of judiciary- that’s not from LA Times but me. I’m trying to encompass the entire fuckery of what went on - attorneys, judges, bar, law firm lenders etc…

[realityplease]

1 hour ago, Jennifersdc said:

In terms of judiciary- that’s not from LA Times but me. I’m trying to encompass the entire fuckery of what went on - attorneys, judges, bar, law firm lenders etc…

I see!  We've only seen the tip of the iceberg.  Tom's lies & theft were exposed when Lion Air settlement blew up, the bankruptcy shut G&K, & other lawsuits revealed Tom's lies to clients, law firm lenders, theft of client money, stiffed co-counsel. 

For years, Tom had some State Bar folks (& judges too?) in his pocket. Trips & dinners, yes, but maybe cash or other perks too.  40 years of State Bar "help" would seem to be based on more than fancy dinners or jobs for relatives.  Cash, cash for home remodeling or purchase, mortgage payoff, cars to come out? Anything's possible. Lots of money moved. We don't know the "ALL" of it yet.

Tom settled with (silenced) clients when the State Bar/courts didn't.  Given personal injuries, medical issues or as heirs of air crash victims or accidents, the clients wanted compensation, not MORE litigation against him - not being strung along. Then, the Lion Air ax fell.

Now, we find the CFO embezzled too. The L.A. Times hints others may have also.  Added to $100+million Tom took!  The CFO, should know plenty as to Erika. He can exonerate her or implicate her, but his testimony is dicey now due to his need to justify his acts.    

Lots more to come out.  Andy's not doing great with housewife criminals. NJ Theresa Guidice - guilty.  SLC Jen Shah - guilty.  BH Erika next?  And even if not, he gave Erika 5 years to polish Tom's reputation, hide, then reveal, his "dementia" & defend her own crass actions.  Added ratings can't be worth subpoenas, depositions, attorneys and feds crawling all over your tapes, transcripts.  Bravo - Stop giving criminals a platform!!  Get Erika off this show.

Edited November 12, 2022 by realityplease

[Melonie77]

32 minutes ago, realityplease said:

For years, Tom had some State Bar folks (& judges too?) in his pocket. Trips & dinners, yes, but maybe cash or other perks too.  40 years of State Bar "help" would seem to be based on   And even if not, he gave Erika 5 years to polish Tom's reputation, hide, then reveal, his "dementia" & defend her own crass actions.  Added ratings can't be worth subpoenas, depositions, attorneys and feds crawling all over your tapes, transcripts.  Bravo - Stop giving criminals a platform!!  Get Erika off this show.

We were just talking about this in the Erica Jayne thread. I feel as if Bravo has become complicit as well....

[realityplease]

4 minutes ago, Melonie77 said:

We were just talking about this in the Erica Jayne thread. I feel as if Bravo has become complicit as well....

Great minds think alike!

[RealHousewife]

39 minutes ago, realityplease said:

Andy's not doing great with housewife criminals. NJ Theresa Guidice - guilty.  SLC Jen Shah - guilty.  BH Erika next?  And even if not, he gave Erika 5 years to polish Tom's reputation, hide, then reveal, his "dementia" & defend her own crass actions.  

4 minutes ago, Melonie77 said:

We were just talking about this in the Erica Jayne thread. I feel as if Bravo has become complicit as well....

[Melonie77]

20 hours ago, realityplease said:

Great minds think alike!

Check out the article HooDooz posted in the Erica thread - it lays it all out - how Erica and the show appeared to have enabled all of these crimes.🙃

Edited November 13, 2022 by Melonie77

[pasdetrois]

18 hours ago, realityplease said:

there HAD to be more than just a free dinner, ride, cruise, or Vegas trip

I'm guessing trafficked women (I'm not sure "prostitutes" is an appropriate term any longer, given what we know about how prostitution operates).

If Tom has been diagnosed with Alzheimers, then chances are he has had brain scans to support the diagnosis. My theory, which I've mentioned before, is that he had slow onset - which is very common - and Erika, the family and law partners suspected it but kept it under wraps in order to keep using Tom's presence to steal more money, stash as much as they could somewhere, and attempt to cover their tracks, knowing the money train would end soon. Tom became a prop.

I'm in a dementia caregivers' support group, and I had dinner with another caregiver and her father last week. He is in the early stages, and I would never have known because his symptoms are very subtle.

[realityplease]

On 11/12/2022 at 9:45 AM, pasdetrois said:

If Tom has been diagnosed with Alzheimers, then chances are he has had brain scans to support the diagnosis. My theory, which I've mentioned before, is that he had slow onset - which is very common - and Erika, the family and law partners suspected it but kept it under wraps in order to keep using Tom's presence to steal more money, stash as much as they could somewhere, and attempt to cover their tracks, knowing the money train would end soon. Tom became a prop.

I'm in a dementia caregivers' support group, and I had dinner with another caregiver and her father last week. He is in the early stages, and I would never have known because his symptoms are very subtle.

I agree with you as to hookers (Heidi Fleiss type, not trafficked) & that Erika covered up early symptoms or maybe, just didn't know what she was dealing with.  Many don't at first. Or maybe it was just a scam cooked up by Tom so he needn't testify & evade prosecution.

Tom was diagnosed with middle-stage dementia by an "expert" his team dug up (who specializes in boxing injury, not geriatric dementia) when the Lion Air mess & bankruptcy petition hit. 

Sorry, no brain scan reliably supports a diagnosis - the only way it's known for sure is an after-death autopsy.  There's many dementia types - Alzheimers, vascular, Lewi body, Parkinson, frontotemporal, etc  Doctors make educated guesses.  Some patients have some, some have many symptoms.  Wide ranging.  Tom may have had mild symptoms, but somehow, amazingly & atypically, he progressed all the way to "unable to testify in his own behalf" in mere weeks/days - just weeks AFTER very ably helming a complex litigation panel & filming an ABA video on complex litigation tactics - all his faculties intact. 

It's true that dementia waxes & wanes -maybe his did - but if you've seen one dementia patient you've seen ONE dementia patient. Everyone's unique, there's a myriad of variations.  Also, as said above there's different types of dementia though people tend to use - or misuse - one type - Alzheimer's - most frequently.  The "test" is a joke - it's less than 10 questions - name the president, draw a clock, name the day is it.  If you say, as my mom did, "the heavyset guy with the orange face," that's a wrong answer.  If you draw a clock perfectly but the circle doesn't touch exactly end to end, it's a wrong answer.  If you're retired & haven't seen a paper or news or hospitalized, you might not know what day it is. You say you live in Chicago (& do live in city limits) but the hospital's in Evanston, a wrong answer - even if you can name the hospital you're in.

Also, other types of conditions (urinary infections, dehydration) can cause confusion in the elderly. We went down this rabbit hole as to ALL of the above on this forum two years ago when the Girardi scandal hit.  There's LOTS of misinformation & misinterpretation out there about dementia. (My mom had vascular dementia after a stroke. Had her at home, then a memory care facility where I saw all types, all stages. Spoke to therapists, doctors, family, staff.  In a span of 5 years I learned there's no absolutes & a LOT isn't known.)   I won't repeat everything we discussed several years ago as not appropriate to the Media thread & it's already in the RHoBH threads somewhere. Please, let's not go down that rabbit hole again.

Edited November 16, 2022 by realityplease

[OlderThanDirt]

There was an article in my local newspaper but bylined from the LA Times about a former NFL player with CTE whose settlement from the NFL went to Girardi Kearse and his wife couldn't get payment for his treatment. I'm sure there were others with a link from the NFL.  Where were the judges who were supposed to be overseeing the claims? 

[realityplease]

1 minute ago, OlderThanDirt said:

There was an article in my local newspaper but bylined from the LA Times about a former NFL player with CTE whose settlement from the NFL went to Girardi Kearse and his wife couldn't get payment for his treatment. I'm sure there were others with a link from the NFL.  Where were the judges who were supposed to be overseeing the claims? 

That's not typically the judge's role.  A case settles, that's reported to the court & the case goes off the active docket.  (Only with minors claims or consent decrees are there fairness hearings or oversight.)  If the settlement wasn't being fulfilled, the NFL player had to sue Girardi for malpractice.  Can't tell from your entry, whether that was done or not.

[pasdetrois]

18 hours ago, realityplease said:

Please, let's not go down that rabbit hole again.

I agree this is somewhat off-topic although it's  relevant because Tom is maybe off the hook  due to his diagnosis.

I am expressing my own personal experience with dementia in family members (we have had four thus far), and you are free to do as well. We can disagree amicably.

Also, I think you made a leap from what I wrote, which is that imaging may be used to support a diagnosis. That fact is cited in multiple dementia websites, and imaging  was used to help differentiate a dementia diagnosis in my family member, who has vascular dementia.

Edited November 13, 2022 by pasdetrois

[realityplease]

7 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

I agree this is somewhat off-topic although it's somewhat relevant because Tom maybe off the hook  due to his diagnosis.

I am expressing my own personal experience with dementia in family members (we have had four thus far), and you are free to do as well. We can disagree amicably.

Also, I think you made a leap from what I wrote, which is that imaging may be used to support a diagnosis. That fact is cited in multiple dementia websites, and imaging  was used to help differentiate a dementia diagnosis in my family member, who has vascular dementia.

Please don't think I'm being dismissive of your information. I sympathize with you & give you a lot of credit - dealing with 4 family members with dementia can't be easy - and probably even much harder than you thought it would be.  

My understanding is that imaging (CT scans & MRIs) are better at telling who DOES NOT have dementia & of much lower value at telling who DOES have dementia & the type.  My parents both had strokes. Led to vascular dementia in one & impairment in the other (couldn't speak/walk) though he retained cognition, thinking.  Both had many, many CT scans & MRIs.  Brain bleeds were seen & general types of impairment predicted - but the impact & ability to recover was not precise, predictable or accurate except generally - everybody recovers function differently, if at all.  There's many websites - some reputable, some look good but based on dubious science.)  Many doctors & hospitals will tell you the limitations of certain tests, some are only too happy to bill for more (& expensive) tests or treatments -- sometimes to appease families who are hopeful that SOMETHING will provide answers or make a difference.  Sadly, each type of dementia has a  general trajectory - but with WIDE variation. New meds are being tested but not ready for market. One seemed promising, but failed to deliver to expectation. If we don't agree about any of the foregoing, it's all good.

We know very little of Tom's dementia but for a single declaration from a hired gun paid "expert" who likely saw Tom once a few years ago.  Tom's not totally off the hook. He might avoid criminal prosecution but his livelihood & practice are gone, his firm bankrupted, the IRS onto him (or those handling his affairs) or will be, he's living in a memory care facility, either the building or floor locked down to protect wanderers, his private room still only 1 room & bath, things like outside jaunts & menu choices, limited.  Not at all the life he was used to.  But then, what are his victims lives like?

[Jennifersdc]

17 hours ago, OlderThanDirt said:

There was an article in my local newspaper but bylined from the LA Times about a former NFL player with CTE whose settlement from the NFL went to Girardi Kearse and his wife couldn't get payment for his treatment. I'm sure there were others with a link from the NFL.  Where were the judges who were supposed to be overseeing the claims? 

On a cruise with Tom Girardi.

[Sweet-tea]

In the first six minutes or so Denise talks about Lisa Rinna and if she'd come back to RHOBH (she would but hasn't been asked). The rest of it is mostly about her Only Fans account. 

Is it me or does her voice sound different? She sounds subdued, almost whispering. I didn't notice how low her voice was when she was on the show. 

Looks like she's had some facial work done. 

[blixie]

Aww she's still good people, and she's a fucking professional who would be fine working with Rinna again. I would love to have her back on the show. I'll blame Brandi and Hollywood in general for the LA face fuzing. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

3 hours ago, Sweet-tea said:

In the first six minutes or so Denise talks about Lisa Rinna and if she'd come back to RHOBH (she would but hasn't been asked). The rest of it is mostly about her Only Fans account. 

Is it me or does her voice sound different? She sounds subdued, almost whispering. I didn't notice how low her voice was when she was on the show. 

Looks like she's had some facial work done. 

Denise became a “low talker” (TM Seinfeld)?!?  
 

Stay tuned for Jeff Lewis wearing a puffy shirt. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

9 hours ago, Sweet-tea said:

In the first six minutes or so Denise talks about Lisa Rinna and if she'd come back to RHOBH (she would but hasn't been asked). The rest of it is mostly about her Only Fans account. 

Is it me or does her voice sound different? She sounds subdued, almost whispering. I didn't notice how low her voice was when she was on the show. 

Looks like she's had some facial work done. 

This is very informative!!! I need to set aside a chunk of time to listen to the whole interview. She reveals that Rinna would apologize but then soon after would revert back to the behavior she had just apologized for.

Edited November 15, 2022 by hoodooznoodooz

[chlban]

On 11/10/2022 at 2:34 PM, Jennifersdc said:

Interesting news. I expected at least a couple of people would eventually get indicted over this. And I think Girardi has money stashed away off-shore. Let’s see if they can find it.

I still think Erika didn’t know or know enough to be criminally liable (she did sign those joint tax returns though). As we’ve discovered she’s a dumb twat (trying to think of something more offensive than cunt). I think she’s got some serious issues civil wise.

And you dumb twat - the IRS is not going away.

Erika is Dumb, but I really cannot think of any HW on any franchise dumber than Teresa and she went to prison for, basically signing documents. 

[realityplease]

Another L.A. Times article about Tom Girardi: 

The FBI Field Office is led by asst director Donald Alway who took over the post last summer & was formerly with the LA County Sheriff's office.  In the '90's, Alway's mother was a secretary & girlfriend to Tom Girardi & received cash transfers & gifts from Tom. 

Tom was stealing from client trust accounts even in the '90's - & divorcing his 2nd wife. (Erika is his 3rd wife.)  Aside from the cash transfers, Tom also gave $131,000 mortgage money to Always' mother to buy a home in Carmel, CA. Donald Alway & his mom are the current owners of the home, now worth $1.2 mil.

The local U.S. Attorneys office & an FBI Special Agent are investigating Girardi's firm. They brought the recent criminal charges against G&K's CFO.  Turns out, the Special Agent REPORTS to Alway!  There is no information whether Alway recused himself from overseeing the Girardi case. 

Edited November 16, 2022 by realityplease

[RealHousewife]

Unbelievably disgusting he got away with stealing for so long. 

[realityplease]

17 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Unbelievably disgusting he got away with stealing for so long. 

As things were crumbling & the lawsuits increasing against him, BRAVO let Erika boost him weekly on national TV with housewives simpering & listening to him as if awe-struck.  Newspapers didn't fact-check the false tropes he or Erika pushed.  People in the legal arena were paid off by him or on his payroll. Undisclosed conflicts of interest are still popping up.  It's no wonder this went on for decades. 

[OlderThanDirt]

I watched this season to see how they would handle the Girardi situation and the timing of Erika's abdication and divorce filing. But of course the show won't or can't deal with the real lives of these not so real "housewives" and their robberies and lawsuits. I understand it's supposed to be entertainment not investigative journalism,  but I'm not entertained.  I'm done watching but I'll still be reading here.

[kassa]

There may not ultimately be justice for Tom Girardi in terms of prison, but can you imagine having to live the rest of your life as a quasi vegetable just to keep the cops at bay? If he's institutionalized, he needs to play the role 24/7. Maybe he's been released to a family member, in which case he'd be free to read, talk, surf the internet... but if not, that sounds like hell to somebody who is not only smart but obviously pretty gregarious.

If he IS released to some family member, he shouldn't assume he's truly free. I actually know somebody who (unbeknownst to me) had committed a horrible crime but was found unable to stand trial. I fell for the cover story that he was seriously disabled and never suspected a thing. Then his house got raided. Turned out the feds do not forget, and they kept watching him for YEARS. While performing his act in public, he was living a rather vibrant social life on line, and they got ALL of it as evidence and were able to put him away.

Either way, if it seems like he's getting away with it, he's not.

[hoodooznoodooz]

Wow.

Someone on Instagram posted that Tom paid for a house that the new head of the FBI’s Los Angeles office owns.

Edited November 16, 2022 by hoodooznoodooz

[realityplease]

1 hour ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

Wow.

Someone on Instagram posted that Tom paid for a house that the new head of FBI’s Los Angeles office owns.

Yep - that HAS to be Donald Alway.  Alway's mom was Tom's secretary & girlfriend in the '90's (as reported in the L.A. Times today & in my post of 7 hrs ago.) In addition to cash gifts, Tom paid the mortgage of a home in Carmel, CA, now owned in the name of Donald & his mom.  What's crazier is that the FBI Special Agent who helped indict Tom's CFO last Sat. reports to Alway as his superior.  Alway was asked (by TMZ?) whether he recused (withdrew) from oversight of this particular case given his connection  - no answer given so far.  But conflict of interest much??

UPDATE: An FBI spokesperson told Law360 that Alway, who became a director of the local FBI office in August, 2022, is NOT overseeing the Girardi case.

There are reports Tom paid the mortgage throughout the '90's (while divorcing wife #2. Erika is #3) but didn't transfer ownership of the home to the mom 'til June 2021, who then gave 50% in the home to the son.  (Tom's assets were frozen in Dec. 2020 & he claimed dementia then so I don't understand how ownership transferred to the girlfriend in June 2021 - but whatever.)

Edited November 16, 2022 by realityplease

[Jennifersdc]

On 11/14/2022 at 9:36 PM, chlban said:

Erika is Dumb, but I really cannot think of any HW on any franchise dumber than Teresa and she went to prison for, basically signing documents. 

I agree Teresa is dumber than Erika. Teresa’s so dumb she signed her husband’s (he’ll always be Juicy to me) bullshit bankruptcy petition, while she was on national TV throwing cash around like she was Imelda Marcos. That’s when they dug deeper and found all the fraudulent loan shit (including Teresa’s  fake W-2’s). Haven’t watched that show since.

Teresa signed a whole lot of documents that clearly stated that she could be criminally prosecuted if she knew the information she provided was incorrect. That’s on her. I’m not sure what Erika signed (besides tax returns, LLC formation docs and agreeing to use assets for collateral on legal loans). And I’d love to see her prosecuted for something.

Edited November 18, 2022 by Jennifersdc
Minor.

[izabella]

Just the taxes alone are enough to charge her if they are fraudulent.  We all sign those under the part where it says we can be prosecuted "under the penalty of the law" for false statements.

[Jennifersdc]

35 minutes ago, izabella said:

Just the taxes alone are enough to charge her if they are fraudulent.  We all sign those under the part where it says we can be prosecuted "under the penalty of the law" for false statements.

Yep. We can hope. She’ll claim “innocent spouse”, but that doesn’t mean the IRS doesn’t intend on getting paid. She’s dumb as rocks (apologies to the rocks).

[ZettaK]

Transferring mortgage money was something that Girardi did more than once- remember the girlfriend who was a judge? 

I'm suspicious of the timing of Tom's dementia. I mentioned this months ago. It's possible he knew (and his close circle, as well) he had a problem, and he hid it in order to continue the fraudulent activity, but it was a little too convenient it progressed so fast in weeks, after the exposure of his scam. And of course a doctor who was also a friend diagnosed him. 

Edited November 19, 2022 by ZettaK

[ZettaK]

On 11/10/2022 at 2:17 PM, realityplease said:

The L.A. Times reported that Kumon was returning from the Bahamas - and the plane landed in Baltimore? or Dulles? 

Could he have been visiting his (or Girardi's) off-shore accounts, perhaps? That the criminal complaint was filed under seal might mean the feds didn't want to tip him - or others - off.  The no bail arrest probably means he was considered a flight risk.

I don't know much about off-shore stuff - is the Bahamas a place to stash money? Or maybe he was elsewhere & just returned to the U.S. from the Bahamas.

Yes, the Bahamas is a place to hide money. 

[RealHousewife]

Something I had always wondered is if anyone was ever suspicious of how the heck Girardis had lifestyle they did. Any other Housewives think it was bizarre Erika spent like she was married to Bill Gates? His wife probably doesn't even spend half as much.

I know lawyers can do very well, but with how OTT Erika spent, I wondered if she actually made money of her own, if Tom was born into money, if they also made money off investments, etc. I wondered if he was just the best lawyer of all time or what. But I guess it goes back to, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. 

[ZettaK]

On 11/6/2022 at 2:16 PM, realityplease said:

Apparently he likes the stats & is going to use them whenever & where ever - even if not accurate.  Or maybe Forbes, like the L.A. Times, recounts the same tropes as gospel even if flat wrong or dated.  (Ergo the old adage:  You can't always believe what you read.)

Not believing what we read goes both ways. Some information is more reliable. I see disinformation that can be proved (or disproved) easily posted on this forum. For example information from Forbes and the LA Times compared to what a random person said on IG, Twitter (which is going down in flames), Reddit, etc. 

As for Mauricio and naming Rick Hilton, if we take the real estate shows on tv only (I watched Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, and New York since they first aired, also Selling Sunset, and more), I never heard any of the agents naming the agencies which employed them before, and offering them eternal gratitude. This sounds like coming straight from Kathy's PR team which is extremely busy for some months, and fits what she said about Kyle at the Aspen house incident ("I made you"). 

Edited November 19, 2022 by ZettaK

[ZettaK]

1 hour ago, RealHousewife said:

Something I had always wondered is if anyone was ever suspicious of how the heck Girardis had lifestyle they did. Any other Housewives think it was bizarre Erika spent like she was married to Bill Gates? His wife probably doesn't even spend half as much.

I know lawyers can do very well, but with how OTT Erika spent, I wondered if she actually made money of her own, if Tom was born into money, if they also made money off investments, etc. I wondered if he was just the best lawyer of all time or what. But I guess it goes back to, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. 

As a side note, Bill Gates' ex wife is of a different caliber, and doesn't need/have to prove anything. Unlike Erika. The HWs should be at least a little suspicious, but Erika obviously advertised her husband's abilities way too much. No, he was not the most successful lawyer ever. Many corporate attorneys, and those involved in class action lawsuits are extremely successful. Erika made money from the show, and all the promotions generated by being famous on social media- I doubt she earned anything before that. She was a stay at home trophy wife. Tom's family was relatively well off, and it always had connections (he mentioned in the entertainment business for example). I'm sure he had investments because even a middle class individual can have some. 

[realityplease]

On 11/19/2022 at 10:15 AM, ZettaK said:

Not believing what we read goes both ways. Some information is more reliable. I see disinformation that can be proved (or disproved) easily posted on this forum. For example information from Forbes and the LA Times compared to what a random person said on IG, Twitter (which is going down in flames), Reddit, etc. 

THAT is exactly how people are led astray.  Information is NOT inherently more or less reliable because the source is more well-known.  Information is reliable if it is verifiable - no matter the source. 

Erroneous facts or flat-out lies from all sources are on the rise.  People & news sources get away with it when no one fact-checks or calls them out. (Like Erika touting Tom's prowess even as he was losing cases & stealing settlements; Like Erika, & even the Times, calling Tom "the Brockovich attorney" when it's not the truth.) It's dangerous when "puffing" crosses over to lies.

Magazines & newspapers have agendas - they may strive for accuracy but not always achieve it. So taking everything as truth because it's in print is risky. There's not always time to fact-check everything before a deadline. Defamation is very hard to prove absent malice.  The readers don't have time to check.

If Forbes or L.A. Times prints incorrect/outdated information (& they do - they're not infallible), then yes, the random person CAN be the more accurate source if their information is verifiable. 

Further, when The L.A. Times or Forbes get it wrong & is called out, the corrections or retractions are buried in a small box on pg. two.  The original story on the front page is seen by many, taken as gospel, & passed on.  Far fewer see the correction.  I'm not saying the rando on IG, Twitter, Reddit or a forum shouldn't be scrutinized or checked out - but it doesn't mean they can't be right - and a paper can't be wrong just because it's a newspaper.

Edited November 21, 2022 by realityplease

[realityplease]

FBI Asst. Dir. Donald Alway (son of Girardi's former secretary/girlfriend Michelle Alway) and 1/2 owner of the Carmel home that Tom bought the mom (in addition to giving her 100's of thousands in cash gifts) FINALLY recused himself from oversight of the Girardi investigation.  Can't imagine how it took this long for Alway to:

(1) Know of the case (Alway took command of the FBI office in August, 2022),

(2) Be aware of the indictment of Girardi's CFO filed last week - especially because the FBI Agent assigned to the Girardi CFO matter reports to Alway, &

(3) Actually recuse & set up an ethical barrier between himself & the investigation given his conflict of interest.

Gotta wonder about this guy's intelligence, integrity, judgment or ethics.  Maybe he'll claim he didn't know about his mom's personal & work relationship with Girardi or that Girardi paid for the Carmel home. (He thought his mom, on a secretary's salary, could afford a home near a famed golf course & the homes of Clint Eastwood, Kim Novak, the late Doris Day?)  Alway never connected the name of his mom's former workplace as the same one under investigation?? Or inquired??  And even if not, when told, why did it take him so many days to recognize the appearance of impropriety, if not actual conflict???  Wow - just wow.  

Edited November 21, 2022 by realityplease

[RHOSingapore]

If anyone wants to research the supposed integrity and infallibility of the FBI, they only have to Google John Connolly and Whitey Bulger…..

[endure]

Andy says RHOBH taking a minute break....

https://deadline.com/2022/11/andy-cohen-rhobh-taking-break-teases-bravo-2023-1235181097/