A Manhattan judge found himself in a corner Tuesday after a senior private equity executive frequently trolled his estranged wife with emails that included messages about Donald Trump's election victory.
John H. Foster, 82 years old – long-time health equipment industry mogul; $800 million private equity firm HealthPoint Capital Over the past two weeks, I've sent a ton of phone messages to my wife Stephanie. That included when she was testifying in court, meters away from Stephanie, a judge heard in the couple's contested divorce case.
During court testimony on Oct. 31, one of the messages John wrote to Stephanie read out, “Happy Halloween.” One of her attorneys, Rita Glavin, said Stefani also included “some pumpkin and ghost emojis” just in case. .
However, at the end of this seemingly innocuous seasonal greeting, there was an ominous feeling.
“Beginning!!” as Glavine explained in court Tuesday, read the text.
John, who claimed to be in dire poverty during the ex-couple's three-year divorce trial, also sent Stephanie a text message after last week's presidential election with a cartoon image of President-elect Trump holding his fist aloft. .
My husband wrote: I didn't feel great today,” Glavine said.
“It's not 'I'm worried about you, I'm worried about you,'” the lawyer argued, “and it's a mockery of the witness during testimony.”
Glavine, a former federal prosecutor turned criminal defense attorney, calls this “witness tampering,” and uses the example of disgraced crypto guru Sam Bankman Freed, who went to prison last year for intimidating a witness. listed.
Foster's attorney, Linda Rosenthal, tried to classify the text as an example of John's concern for his wife's well-being, but Judge Ta-Tanisha James didn't seem to agree.
A Manhattan Civil Court judge forbade either party to the painful marriage from sending text messages to the other, saying, “Otherwise, sanctions will be imposed.
“And it begins now,” James said grimly.
John and Stephanie Foster married in 2009 and lived in a luxury filled with jet planes, a $10 million Fishers Island home, a vast Texas ranch filled with exotic African animals, and an expensive Fifth Avenue ranch. I lived a lifestyle.
Stephanie says her husband's destitution claims left him nearly penniless, as revealed in the Post article The damning text messages she found He later said it was evidence that it was part of a “net worth strategy” to leave her penniless. 15th year of marriage.
On Tuesday, James' email complaints turned to yelling at John after it was revealed that John had not paid his wife's rent and other expenses in months.
“Then let's end it today,” James yelled at Foster and his legal team.
“MS. The foster parent's rent must be paid. Spousal support will be paid.
“You do not intend to prevent Mr. Foster from receiving the money that this court has already ordered,” James continued in court.
“I'm concerned about that.”
“I feel like there's gamesmanship going on,” the judge said, “and I know that's not what's going on, but that's what it feels like.”
The hearing ended early when Foster abruptly left the courtroom complaining of chest pains and court staff called an ambulance.
