New revelations have surfaced in the ongoing criminal fraud trial of Thomas Girardi, providing a complex layer of intrigue and potential exoneration for the embattled attorney. During the fifth day of proceedings in a Los Angeles courthouse, evidence was presented that former Girardi Keese attorneys covertly utilized a secret bank account in 2020 to funnel funds, all without Girardi’s awareness. This clandestine account was allegedly held at Citizen Business Bank in San Bernardino, according to the emails disclosed during the trial.
The timing of these secretive transactions is particularly notable. It was a period when Girardi himself had been sending alarms to his staff, cautioning that the firm’s revenue streams were drying up. This discrepancy between Girardi’s dire communications and the hidden bank account operations forms a crucial part of the defense’s strategy. They argue that these actions occurred behind Girardi’s back, thereby showcasing his cognitive decline and lack of control over the firm’s financial activities at the time.
For further details on the unfolding case, visit the Bloomberg Law article.