High profile Dem donor Tom Girardi indicted on fraud charges

Girardi represented a number of high-profile clients through the years and hobnobbed with many top Democrats, including Joe Biden, however, that has now been overshadowed by countless allegations of embezzlement.

According to Reuters, prosecutors in Los Angeles charged Girardi with embezzling over $15 million from his clients between 2010 and 2020, while their Chicago counterparts added another eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of criminal contempt of court.

Before Girardi's legal woes consumed his life, he was a prominent figure in the Democratic Party's donor scene. As FOX News reports, he donated to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Gavin Newsom, and, most notably, Joe Biden.

In 2019, Girardi even hosted an exclusive LA fundraiser for Biden during his presidential campaign. In total, Girardi, his relatives, and his employees shelled out at least $7.5 million to Democratic candidates at all levels of government.

In a press conference following Girardi's indictment, US Attorney Martin Estrada explained that he and his team "were committing fraud on a massive scale."

"Girardi chose to steal from his clients and spend their money on his own personal expenses," he said. "Our investigation has revealed that, in fact, Mr. Girardi was robbing and stealing from those people who he claimed to be championing."

One such case involved Joseph Ruigomez, who was nearly burned to death in a fire.

"Mr. Girardi settled a severely injured client's case for $53 million without notifying the client. He then lied to that client about the amount of the settlement, saying it was actually for $7.25 million, which was false. For years, Mr. Girardi allegedly dragged out giving his client the money that rightfully belonged to him."

Girardi has also been accused of stealing money from other injured clients, and misappropriating over $3 million in funds owed to families of the victims of an Indonesian plane crash, which killed all 189 onboard.

If convicted, he faces decades in prison.