Judge Lets Fraud Charges Against Milli Vanilli Stand
A Los Angeles federal judge on Thursday refused to dismiss federal fraud and racketeering claims against the lip-synching pop duo Milli Vanilli and associates, an action that would have left it to a state lawsuit to carry forward fraud claims against the pair, their producer and record label.
Judge J. Spencer Letts, who pledged to move with “lightning speed” in the matter, turned down the request by the plaintiffs, who had hoped to consolidate 20 similar lawsuits nationwide “to bring the case together in one form in San Diego,” said attorney William Lerach.
Attorney Russell J. Frackman, representing Arista Records, commented, “We think the quicker it’s litigated, the quicker we’ll win and it’ll all be over.”
Milli Vanilli’s Grammy award was revoked after the revelation that neither member of the duo sang a note on their multimillion-selling 1988 album.
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