NATIONAL BRIEFING / AND FINALLY . . .
A New York lawyer who invested millions of dollars with accused swindler Bernard L. Madoff is suing his ex-wife for the return of part of their divorce settlement, saying he was misled about his actual worth.
Steven Simkin and Laura Blank held $5.4 million in a Madoff account, according to a statement provided by Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities at the time of the couple’s separation in 2004, the lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court says.
Simkin paid Blank, his wife of 30 years, half as part of their uncontested divorce settlement, the lawsuit said. That meant she avoided losses caused by Madoff’s alleged Ponzi scheme.
“Laura obtained a windfall, and Steven did not receive an equitable share of the couple’s joint assets. . . . It is only fair and equitable for Laura to shoulder some of that harm,” the lawsuit contends.
Blank could not be reached for comment.
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