Hollywood Wiretap Case Widens to Include Elite, Attorneys
The prosecution decided not to call Bertram “Bert” Fields, “lawyer to the stars,” to testify at the trial of Anthony Pellicano, “private eye to the stars.” Fields had earlier announced his intent to plead the Fifth if called as a witness.
Clients of Field’s firm Greenberg Glusker, including hedge fund manager Adam Sender and movie producer Andrew Stevens, have already testified under grants of immunity to having listened to illegal wiretaps by Pellicano. The government’s wiretap evidence further has Pellicano referring repeatedly to Fields in conversations with others. Fields, who referred Greenberg Glusker clients to Pellicano, is suspected to have known of Pellicano’s illegal methods.
Another lawyer, Terry Christiansen, attorney for billionaire Kerk Kerkorian, has also been charged for retaining Pellicano to wiretap Kerkorian’s ex-wife during child support proceedings.
In other Pellicano-related news, FBI Special Agent Stanley Ornellas testified that Hollywood mogul Michael Ovitz had informed him that he had hired Pellicano in 2002 to gather information on journalists whom he believed were attacking him in the press, and mentioned the name of journalist Anita Busch. Pellicano’s associate, LAPD Sergeant Mark Arneson, then accessed Ms. Busch’s Department of Motor Vehicles records. A fish with a note in its mouth saying “Stop” which was later left on the windshield of Ms. Busch’s car was the incident which eventually led authorities to search Pellicano’s offices. Agent Ornellas testified that he believed that Mr. Ovitz was behind the threat against Ms. Busch. Ovitz has previously testified in the trial and has denied that he was aware of any illegal activities by Mr. Pellicano.
