Husband Of ‘Real Housewives’ Star Erika Jayne, Tom Girardi, Convicted Of Defrauding His Accident-Victim Clients

Tom Girardi, once celebrated for his courtroom victories, was found guilty Tuesday of defrauding clients out of millions of dollars. The federal jury in Los Angeles convicted Girardi on four counts of wire fraud after a nearly two-week trial.

Girardi, 85, gained fame representing plaintiffs in major lawsuits against corporations, including a case that inspired the movie Erin Brockovich. He also appeared on the reality TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with his estranged wife, Erika Jayne.

Prosecutors accused Girardi of embezzling funds from vulnerable clients, including accident victims and their families. Testimonies came from individuals such as an Arizona woman whose husband died in a boating incident and survivors of a 2010 gas pipeline explosion near San Francisco.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada criticized Girardi’s actions, stating, “Tom Girardi cultivated a celebrity persona and drew in victims by falsely portraying himself as a ‘Champion of Justice.'”

The defense attempted to shift blame to the firm’s chief financial officer, Chris Kamon, who faces separate charges. They argued that Girardi had become a figurehead in recent years, leveraging his reputation rather than actively managing cases.

Evidence presented at trial included voicemails in which Girardi offered various excuses for delayed payments to clients, often pleading, “Don’t be mad at me.”

The verdict comes after Girardi’s disbarment in California in 2022 for misappropriating client funds. His legal troubles extend beyond this case, with pending federal wire fraud charges in Chicago related to the alleged theft of settlement money from families of victims in a 2018 Lion Air crash.

Girardi’s attorneys had previously argued that he was unfit for trial due to an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. However, prosecutors contended that he exaggerated his symptoms, and a judge ultimately ruled him competent to stand trial.

Sentencing is scheduled for December, with Girardi facing up to 80 years in prison. He remains free until then.