Pellicano Trial: Spurned Lovers, Prostitutes and Cyber Geeks

Robert Pfeiffer, a former music executive, testified today that he hired Mr. Pellicano to destroy the life of his ex-girlfriend, Erin Finn. Mr. Pfeiffer told the jury that after he brought a lawsuit against a former employer for wrongful termination, his ex-girlfriend testified against him and on behalf of his ex-employer, saying he'd used drugs while employed. Telling the jury that he became irrational and obsessive about Ms. Finn and her "betrayal," Mr. Pfeiffer said that he hired Mr. Pellicano to not only get Ms. Finn to recant her testimony about his drug use but to also "discredit her." Mr. Pfeiffer claimed that Mr. Pellicano not only convinced him to a new lawyer, Alan Weil (who is also coincidentally on the government's witness list), but also got him to file several lawsuits against Ms. Finn, to harass her and to agree to wiretapping her phones. Although Mr. Pfeiffer said that Mr. Pellicano initially referred to his wiretapping of Ms. Finn's phone by code (as in "I've just read something"), Mr. Pellicano ultimately told him directly about the wiretapping and eventually invited him back to his office for a listen.

Mr. Pfeiffer told the courtroom that Mr. Pellicano was extremely effective against Ms. Finn. He said that Mr. Pellicano confirmed that Ms. Finn was working as a prostitute at the time she was dating Mr. Pfeiffer. Mr. Pfeiffer also testified that after the lawsuits against Ms. Finn, campaign of harassment and the wiretapping of her phones, Ms. Finn ultimately agreed to recant her testimony. He said that because of Mr. Pellicano, he was able to settle his lawsuit with his former employer and get on with his life. And, best of all, Mr. Pellicano also ended up playing yenta to these two crazy kids and got them back together for a while after Ms. Finn finally decided to be nice and stop saying that Mr. Pfeiffer used speed.

Before Mr. Pfeiffer left the stand and went home to wait to be sentenced on wiretapping charges, he told the jury a bit about the goings-on at Mr. Pellicano's office. He said that he not only listened to audio tapes there, he also saw another Pellicano client there, the well known Hollywood manager, Fred DeMann. According to Mr. Pfeiffer, Mr. Pellicano confided in him that Mr. DeMann had hired the detective because he suspected that his daughter's husband was being unfaithful and was gay and wanted proof. It seems that when it came to Mr. Pfeiffer, Mr. Pellicano was all about giving out information--no omerta code when it came to good old Bob. And, that's not all. Apparently, while he was hanging at the Pellicano office listening to wiretaps, Mr. Pfeiffer also managed to hear Mr. Pellicano cancel an appointment with Michael Ovitz, spot the Nicherie brothers translating audio tapes from Hebrew to English and chat up Tarita Virtue, the employee assigned to work on his case.

On cross-examination, Mr. Hummel, Mr. Arneson's attorney, managed to artfully question the motivation behind Mr. Pfeiffer's testimony. When asked by Mr. Hummel what he hoped to gain by testifying today, Mr. Pfeiffer tearfully explained that he hoped that the truth would set him free, that he would find some sort of redemption and that, maybe, just maybe, the Judge might show him a little leniency when sentencing him.

When Ms. Finn finally took the stand, she managed to deftly use a number of euphemisms in referring to her prior occupation, telling about being an "escort," "a two day minimum," "sort of being a travel agent," and "occasionally providing sex" to "socially awkward geeks." Wearing a conservative brown suit, Ms. Finn, an attractive blond and well-spoken woman with unusually high cheekbones, told the jury about how Mr. Pellicano and Mr. Pfeiffer harassed her, wiretapped her and ultimately, drove her into bankruptcy. She said that she started her escort service back in 1999 with a website, "educatedescort.com." She said the site appealed to socially awkward geeks and that her services included a two day minimum and sometimes involved sex.

Ms. Finn met Mr. Pfeiffer in a classic Hollywood way. He called to have an escort come over--"but not for sex," Ms. Finn testified. It was a classic Hollywood story--"boy meets girl," "girl falls for boy," "girl leaves boy and testifies against him" and "angry boy retaliates." Ms. Finn recalled that after she testified against Mr. Pfeiffer in his lawsuit against his former employer, bad things happened. He harassed her, sued her, got her personal information and sent it out to family and friends. There were hang-ups on her phone, threats and she also became convinced that her phone was wiretapped, even contacting the phone company at one point to check it out. "I didn't know back then that it was the phone company that was wiretapping me," she said with a slight smile. Looking at notes allegedly taken by a Pellicano employee of her private phone conversation, she identified several subjects, including telling a friend that Mr. Pfeiffer had offered her $100,000 to not testify against him. She said that after months of harassment, lawsuits and the feeling that her conversations were being listened to, she finally agreed to meet with Mr. Pellicano and Mr. Pfeiffer's attorney, Alan Weil. She recalled that Mr. Pfeiffer's lawyer, Alan Weil, "made it clear that my life would be a living hell if I didn't recant." So, she told the jury, "I said what I needed to so I could have a life again."

Perhaps, the strangest moment in the trial came today when Mr. Pellicano was cross-examining Ms. Finn. Pretending that the two were the best of friends, Mr. Pellicano adopted a faux friendly attitude as he asked her a series of fairly innocuous questions. When Ms. Finn had trouble remembering some details about Mr. Pfeiffer's drug use and said that it was because of nerves, Mr. Pellicano was extremely gracious. "Maybe it would help you to relax if in the back of your mind you play back 'Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone," Mr. Pellicano offered, instead of a question. The prosecutors weren't sure what to say, but Mr. Pellicano had made his point--whatever it was.

Mr. Hummel's cross examination of Ms. Finn was a classic. Just as he hit the podium, Mr. Hummel asked loudly, "Ms. Finn, could you please tell us the dates when you started being a prostitute and the date when you ended being a prostitute." She answered referring to her website start-up date and then said "it's been decades." Mr. Hummel didn't let it rest. "Not quite decades," he countered. Finally, he questioned her veracity, noting that she'd eventually recounted her testimony against Mr. Pfeiffer and "lied under oath." He then finished her off by noting that when she lied for Mr. Pfeiffer, she was under the same sort of oath that she's taken before testifying today. And with that, he stomped back to his seat, barely able to contain his eye roll.

The day ended with testimony from Jeffrey Edwards, a former F.B.I. computer expert and member of the F.B.I. cyber crime squad (no, they don't have a cyber crime fighting outfit). He testified about how any agent seeking to wiretap would have to exhaust all other investigative options to wiretap someone. He also said something about that agent needing a warrant. Apparently, Mr. Edwards is unfamiliar with the country's current warrant-less wiretapping legislation courtesy of Mr. Cheney and Mr. Bush. In any event, he's due back on the stand tomorrow, along with Mr. Pfeiffer who will be cross-examined by Mr. Pellicano.

The government indicated to the Judge that they expect to finish up their case in around two weeks. Mr. Saunders said that tomorrow the government expects Mr. Edwards and Mr. Pfeiffer will be back on the stand and then, they will call Susan Hughes (another ex-client and alleged wiretapper) as well as a number of phone company employees and possible, CAA partners Brian Lourd and Kevin Huvane.

Read all of HuffPost's coverage from inside the Pellicano courtroom

Comments

[mugwamp]

Cripes, that's Robert Pfeiffer from the '80's new wave band Human Switchboard! What have you become, my boy?