TEXARKANA - Imprisoned evangelist Tony Alamo and wife Sharon Alamo must reveal the source of money they use to pay their lawyers, a federal judge ruled last week.
Lawyers Neil Smith of Irving, Texas, and David Carter of Texarkana said they believe that Alamo is concealing a “large sum of money,” some of which they assert is being used for legal fees.
“Accordingly, locating his assets is the principal issue in the case,” states a Thursday motion to compel the Alamos’ disclosure of how their lawyers are being compensated.
“Because attorneys’ fees are often paid from the client’s assets, how defendant is paying his attorneys is evidence bearing on the location of those assets. Therefore, because the location of defendant’s assets is at issue in this case, and because information on how defendant pays his attorneys bears on that issue, such information is relevant. Defendant is paying his attorneys, or they are being paid on his behalf.”
During their March depositions, the Alamos’ lawyers claimed their clients didn’t have to answer because of attorney-client privilege.
In his Thursday ruling, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Bryant disagreed and granted Smith and Carter’s motion to compel the Alamos to answer questions about legal fees.
“In general, information related to attorney fee arrangements or attorney fee payments are not protected by the attorney-client privilege,” Bryant’s order states. “The court compels defendant Alamo and Sharon Alamo to respond to the questions plaintiffs’ counsel posed to them during their depositions regarding the source of payment of defendant Alamo’s legal bills and the fee arrangements between defendant Alamo and his attorney.”
Smith said he and Carter are scheduling additional depositions of Tony Alamo and Sharon Alamo, and are seeking to obtain responses to their questions about legal fees in written form.
Tony Alamo, whose given name is Bernie LaZar Hoffman, and Sharon Alamo refused to answer questions concerning the payment of their lawyers during depositions in March. The depositions were taken in a civil suit filed by two men who were raised in the ministry and who are each owed a $15 million judgment from Alamo.
A jury found Alamo guilty of conspiracy, battery and “outrage” concerning Spencer Ondrisek and Seth Calagna after a federal trial in 2010.
Alamo, 79, is serving a 175-year federal prison sentence for taking five women, whom he “married” as children, across state lines for sex.
Smith and Carter have received permission from Bryant to sell six Fort Smith properties associated with Alamo as partial recompense for the unpaid $30 million civil judgment. Smith and Carter argued that the properties are owned and controlled for Alamo’s benefit and profit.
Alamo has long said that he has no money. Ministry properties are placed in the names of followers, and ownership is transferred among them regularly using quitclaim deeds. Bryant previously ruled that the practice was an attempt by Alamo to avoid liability for wrongdoing.
Arkansas, Pages 12 on 10/23/2013