Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that the legal troubles surrounding once-renowned attorney Thomas “Tom” Girardi and his estranged wife Erika Jayne are quite baffling. Though as carefully explored in ABC’s/Hulu’s ‘The Housewife and the Hustler 2: The Reckoning,’ the reason behind it is none other than alleged greed plus power plays involving several individuals. Amongst them is reportedly former State Bar of California investigator Thomas “Tom” Layton.
Who is Tom Layton?
It was back when Tom was a mere child that he first developed an unwavering passion for not just the authorities but also criminality, only for it to continue expanding as the years passed. This actually went to such an extent he decided to enroll in the US Army almost as soon as he was able, leading him to do wonders before he was discharged with the rank of sergeant in 1984. Then came this tall, broad, stocky man’s stint at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy, yet he never really rose up the ranks despite dedicating 14 years of his life to the branch.
Tom did apparently serve on a union committee for political endorsements prior to becoming quite known in the field for his tech expertise and government connections, but he remained a deputy. That is, until he was forced into early retirement in 1998 following a grave injury, driving him to switch gears to evolve into a Law Enforcement Liaison/Investigator at the California State Bar. According to records, he initially presented himself as a “special assistant” to then-Sheriff Lee Baca but then moved ahead in the power structure by forming a connection with attorney Tom Girardi.
It turns out Tom was responsible for examining plus scrutinizing civilian-based allegations of attorney misconduct, yet he seemingly squashed all those made against this renowned lawyer. That’s because he as well as his family heavily benefitted from it at every step of the way — the bribes they received actually amounted to more than $1 million in cash and other things of value. There’s even the fact he was routinely treated to pricey meals at Jonathan Club, Morton’s, the Palm, etc., all the while also being allowed to use his private jet and avail his services at little to no cost.
Moreover, this attorney was appointed Tom’s daughter’s godfather, two of his children were handed out jobs at the Girardi | Keese law firm, plus his wife Rose was an outsourced “consultant.” As if all this wasn’t enough, the Laytons were even given a credit card with which they could do as they pleased since it’d be paid for by the firm, and then their luxurious cars were leased by them too. All this was done to ensure Tom wouldn’t let any of the extensive 150-200 complaints (dating back as early as the 1980s) against this personal injury lawyer go through, just for it to actually work.
Where is Tom Layton Now?
As per reports, Tom was fired from the State Bar of California in late 2015 for reasons unknown, yet he later sued the agency for wrongful termination and managed to secure a $400,000 settlement. Nevertheless, it allegedly wasn’t until Tom Girardi’s fraud came to light in 2020 that this family stopped using the American Express card provided to them, which charged an average of $45,000 per year since 2013. Even this ex-investigator’s $150,000 bank loan’s interest was paid by the attorney before he ultimately decided to secure a position as a Los Angeles County Sheriff Reserve deputy and move well away from the limelight. In other words, today, proud California family man Tom prefers to keep his life extremely private so as to stay away from prying eyes, trolls, as well as trouble.
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