A federal jury awarded crime writer Patricia Cornwell approximately $50.9 million in her lawsuit against her former financial management company, and a former principal in the firm, the Associated Press reported.
Cornwell said that the New York firm Anchin, Block & Anchin was negligent in handling her finances and cost her millions in losses or unaccounted for revenue. Her opponents argued no money was missing from her accounts, merely blaming losses on the economic downturn and what they called her extravagant lifestyle, which included helicopters, Ferraris, and a temporary apartment in Manhattan she rented for $40,000 monthly.
According to The Boston Globe, Cornwell assigned management of her financial matter to Anchin, Block & Anchin, managed by Principal Evan Snapper. Her lawyer later claimed that she hired Snapper to insulate herself from her money due to her mental health issues, and that Snapper this and took advantage of her over her four-and-a-half year relationship with the company.
After Cornwell filed the lawsuit, Snapper pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws by buying $50,000 in tickets to a slew of events, including an Elton John concert endorsing nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton for President, all the while using Cornwell's money. The court case opened in January 2013, with Cornwell suing the firm for a combined sum of $100 million.
Cornwell has been no stranger to lawsuits. In 2007, she was involved in a libel suit involving another author, Leslie Sachs, who claimed she plagiarized her book.
In 2007, during her libel suit against Sachs, in retribution, Cornwell testified that Sachs had accused her in online postings of being a "Jew hater" and "neo-Nazi" who bribed judges, conspired to have him killed, and was under investigation by U.S. authorities.
In 1993, Cornwell was convicted of drunk driving, crashing her Mercedes, and was sentenced to 28 days in a treatment center.
Cornwell is the author of over 20 books.
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