The motion is part of the pretrial wrangling leading up to Girardi’s long-awaited criminal trial, which is set to begin on August 6.
Girardi was a prominent plaintiffs lawyer in California, famed for his role in obtaining a $333 million water pollution settlement dramatized in the 2000 film “Erin Brockovich.” However, in December 2020, an Illinois federal judge found that he and his firm, Girardi Keese, had misappropriated at least $2 million in settlement funds meant for the survivors of plane crash victims. Other former clients have made similar claims, and both Girardi and his firm have been forced into bankruptcy.
In early 2023, Girardi was charged with wire fraud over the alleged theft of millions from his firm’s ex-clients. Girardi Keese’s former chief financial officer, Christopher Kamon, has also been charged and accused of siphoning off millions of dollars in a “side-fraud” scheme. Both have pled not guilty, and in early January Girardi, who claimed to have dementia, was found competent to stand trial.
