Spector Sues Ex-Assistant

Phil Spector is in court again, this time as a plaintiff filing a fraud suit against his former personal assistant for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from him.The legendary “Wall of Sound” record producer is familiar with the Los Angeles Superior Court in which he filed the suit and where he is also facing trial for murder.

Spector filed suit September 22nd naming Michelle Blaine, daughter of Hal Blaine, a drummer who played on dozens of hits and worked with Spector as a member of his “Wrecking Crew” studio collective.

The producer accuses Michelle Blaine of using her access to his accounts to make a transfer of $425,000 that Spector claims Blaine used to fund a film production company, among other charges.

The loans were never authorized and were discovered by accountants who notified him, Spector said.

Further investigations revealed that Blaine had used checks and a debit card to take additional hundreds of thousands of dollars from Spector’s accounts, the suit claims.

The troubled producer confronted Blaine, who said she and her son had spent the money but agreed to pay it back, according to court documents.

“The full breadth and scope of her embezzlement is still unknown,” the suit said.

The suit asks a court to order Blaine to pay the money, along with unspecified damages, and to bar her from using Spector’s funds.

Spector still awaits trial on charges he fatally shot actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra, Calif., mansion in early 2003. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $1 million bail.

A pretrial hearing in that case is scheduled for September 26th.