As 'Girls Gone Wild' Founder Sues Over Settlement, Bigger Legal Troubles Loom
The founder of the “Girls Gone Wild” videos has announced he is filing suit to rescind a settlement agreement reached with three underage girls after he was jailed by a federal judge in Florida.
The Los Angeles suit claims U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak of Panama City sided with a former law partner representing the girls to force a settlement, the Associated Press reports. Smoak sent Francis to jail for contempt for yelling and making a threat during a deposition, and Francis claims that amounted to coercion.
“This fight is way bigger than me,” Francis said in an interview with AP. “If this stands, this single-handedly undermines the entire civil judicial process in this country.”
Francis’ legal troubles extend beyond the Florida case. He faces tax evasion charges in Los Angeles and a lawsuit by casino developer Steve Wynn in Las Vegas for $2 million in gambling debts.
In the tax case, Francis is accused of deducting $20 million in fraudulent expenses. He claims the problems were the result of a set-up by his accountant, the New York Times reports. In the gambling case, Francis claims Wynn provided him with prostitutes to lure him into high-stakes gambling, a charge Wynn denies. Francis told AP the $2 million debt had already been settled through prior agreements.
Francis pleaded no contest in March to charges stemming from an arrest on charges of filming underage girls, but said he entered the plea to get out of jail after spending 11 months there on a revoked bond. He now intends to sue the law enforcement officials who arrested and jailed him, the News Herald reports. His lawyer Robert Barnes said one issue will be a flawed warrant that was used to search his condominium.
The tax trial is scheduled for Sept. 16. Francis could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He is represented by a Milwaukee tax defense firm, Bernhoft Law, that obtained an acquittal on the most serious tax evasion charges against actor Wesley Snipes.
