Real Housewives of Beverly Hills viewers are watching the initial unraveling of Erika Jayne’s life. The persona and image that she portrayed for her tenure on the show is looking to be an illusion. The legal issues keep compounding, and Erika is being questioned by her costars as to whether she knew about Tom Girardi’s alleged fraudulent dealings. Actually, that’s something a lot of people would like to know. Such as the trustee overseeing the bankruptcy case for her ex-husband’s law firm.
Page Six broke the news on Friday August 27th. The trustee tasked with sifting through the financial mess of the Girardi Keese law firm has sued Erika for $25 million. The suit claims that Erika knew funds were being shuffled from Girardi Keese to cover her expenses, and that she enjoyed this arrangement for over a decade.
It was previously alleged that funds were siphoned from Tom’s law firm to Erika’s company EJ Global. The money was used to pay for Erika’s glam squad and American Express bill. The critical question is, did she know about it?
The suit alleged that Erika “attempts to create a distinction between handing her money directly versus paying all of her bills directly. The distinction, like her prior motion for reconsideration is meritless. Any payments made for her benefit are her responsibility.”
RELATED: Sutton Stracke Offered Erika Jayne Money For A Loan When She Filed For Divorce From Tom Girardi
$25 million doesn’t just spend itself, and the trustee is making the argument that lack of knowledge shouldn’t equate a lack of accountability. “It would be a miscarriage of justice if [she] was allowed to simply walk completely free of owing over $25,000,000 to the Estate,” the trustee said.
The trustee continued, “Erika signed all of her tax returns, numerous credit card slips, and was well aware of the money she spent on the Debtor’s credit cards and the Debtor’s payment of her personal expenses. Her feigned willful blindness and ostrich approach to these expenditures will do absolutely nothing to limit her liability.”
“The glam cannot be supported by a sham,” the trustee quipped. That sounds like a fantastic tagline for next season of RHOBH as Erika could be required to pay back the $25 million spent with interest. The trustee hopes that accountability will “provide a come to Jesus moment,” for the self-proclaimed Ice Queen.
Apparently, there is a money trail. And it allegedly leads back to Erika. “The evidence is undeniable,” the trustee claimed, “the law firm paid out over $25,000,000 in expenses which were approved and generated by one person, Erika Girardi.”
RELATED: Erika Jayne Spent Over $100,000 On Husband Tom Girardi’s Credit Card Months Before Filing For Divorce
The trustee alluded to a reckoning for Erika. He concluded, “we are hopeful that Ms. Girardi comes down the mountain from a place of privilege and obscene wealth and returns some of these expenses so the former clients and creditors of this law firm can mitigate the horrific and unfair losses perpetrated by her husband and others.”
It seems that Erika will not be held responsible for the $101 million that Tom’s firm allegedly owes, but this particular lawsuit would require her to pay back the $25 million that was transferred to her company. It would, “go a long way in backing up her public claim that the victims should come first,” the trustee opined.
Erika’s lawyer issued an official response to the lawsuit saying, “unfortunately, the amended complaint is another example of the trustee and her counsel jumping to conclusions without a full investigation, and bullying and blaming Erika for actions taken by Girardi Keese for which Erika does not have legal liability.”
The trustee is accused of “overreaching” and having a vendetta against Erika. Her lawyer added that the trustee will, “say and do anything to hurt Erik, despite the law.”
RELATED: Erika Jayne Is Reportedly Trying To Get Out Of Paying Off Loans From Tom Girardi
Erika has the law on her side, her attorney claimed, and “will defend the case, and will seek sanctions and all appropriate remedies for the claims brought in bad faith and without any legal merit.”
TELL US- DID ERIKA KNOW WHERE THE $25 MILLION CAME FROM? SHOULD SHE BE REQUIRED TO PAY IT BACK?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
