Disgraced Hollywood agent who stole millions from struggling actors has his day in court
Mark Measures, the disgraced former owner of KMR Talent, bilked 160 actors out of the hunk of dough in addition to stealing from six employees who worked at his agency, according to a 40-count indictment unsealed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
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Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas AG expands order to halt Beto O'Rourke's group fundraising efforts
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Saturday he secured a 'modified' temporary restraining order that will halt former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke and his political group, Powered by People, 'from removing any property or funds out of Texas.' ActBlue, who also partners with Powered by People, is included in that order, per a news release from Paxton's office. 'In Texas, lawless actions have consequences, and Beto's finding that out the hard way,' Paxton said in the release. Ken Paxton opens investigation into Beto O'Rourke-backed PAC that supports Democratic candidates This all comes after Paxton first secured the temporary restraining order last week against Powered by People for alleged 'unlawful fundraising activity' for Democrats who broke quorum during the Texas special session, a news release from his office states. A district judge from Tarrant County also sided with Paxton by temporarily blocking the organization from fundraising for 'Democrats or financially supporting the quorum break.' 'This is the guy that we're talking about, who was twice indicted on securities fraud charges. And ladies and gentleman, he was impeached by the Texas Legislature — which is a Republican majority institution — on charges of bribery himself. And he's accusing us of some kind of fraud as we try to stop the theft of these five congressional seats. Well you know what? We welcome his investigation, we welcome his attack, we welcome their hatred right now. Because it proves that we're doing the right thing,' O'Rourke said while speaking to a crowd in Oklahoma last week. The first special session ended Friday after it did not have quorum for the sixth consecutive time, as the House failed to reach the 100 member quorum needed to conduct business. Additionally, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a second special session just minutes after the first special session ended, which will include the 18 original items announced in the first one. On Saturday, O'Rourke announced Powered by People donated more than $1 million to Texas Democrats during the special session, according to The Texas Tribune. He added 'more than 55,000 donations' came from people across the country since the start of the first special session. Earlier this month, O'Rourke filed his own lawsuit against the attorney general after he was sued. He asked a judge to block Paxton's investigation into Powered by People, alleging he engaged in a 'fishing expedition, constitutional rights be damned,' according to the Tribune. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Art stolen by Nazis at heart of lawsuit against Christie's
A Czech man claims he's the rightful heir to paintings worth millions that once belonged to a Jewish cabaret performer who was killed by the Nazis — and wants auction house Christie's to reveal what it knows about the art's current location and owners. Milos Vavra is an heir to Franz Friedrich 'Fritz' Grünbaum's art collection, he said in a Manhattan Supreme Court filing asking a judge to force Christie's to share the information. Before he was killed in January 1941 at the Dachau Concentration Camp, the Nazis forced Grünbaum, 60, to sign a document giving his wife the authority to transfer his property. The Nazis then stole his art collection, which included works by Austrian impressionist Egon Schiele, Vavra said in court papers. 6 The Schiele works are considered 'red flags' in the art collecting world, according to the lawsuit. Obtained by the NY Post 6 Heirs of the cabaret performer want information on who currently owns the paintings. Obtained by the NY Post 6 The performer's art collections was stolen by the Nazis. Obtained by the NY Post 6 Grünbaum was killed at the Dachau concentration camp. ullstein bild via Getty Images Christie's has previously sold six works by the Schiele from Grünbaum's collection — most selling for $1 million apiece, according to court papers. 6 The Scheile artworks are at the center of a legal dispute. Obtained by the NY Post In July, the auction house told Vavra and another Grünbaum heir that a family in Switzerland reached out offering to 'partner' with the heirs to sell three Schiele paintings, Vavra said in the filing. 'Experts at Christie's have seen these three works and describe two of the works as being among the highest quality (and potentially most valuable) Scheile (sic) works they have seen,' according to a Christie's email included in court papers. 6 The paintings were not well known outside of Austria before the Nazis invaded. Obtained by the NY Post Schiele's art was not sold outside of Austria before the Nazis took over the country in 1938. The works 'have been considered to be 'red flag' artworks following World War II and very dangerous to collect or sell without ascertaining provenance,' Vavra said in the legal papers. Vavra wants a judge to force the auction house to 'immediately turn over' all information 'relevant to possessors of artworks from the Grünbaum Collection (including all sales records, financial information, appraisals, expert reports, estimate and correspondence),' so he can bring a lawsuit seeking restitution. Christie's said it: 'has established an unparalleled record of bringing objects with painful World-War-Two era histories to public sale by respecting the law, the ethics of restitution, and the principles put in place to support a successful outcome, as we are doing in this case.'
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
‘Stuttering John' suing podcaster pair for ‘surreptitiously' recording his voice and mocking him
'Stuttering John' Melendez is suing a pair of podcasters for secretly recording his voice and using his name — and even his couch cushions — to make a buck off his 'significant fame.' Melendez, 59, claims comedians Karl Heberger and Shuli Egar, the hosts of 'Who are These Podcasts?' used 'illegally recorded private phone calls' to mock and ridicule him on air and in live events where he was the main attraction. 'Melendez is a well-known figure in comedy and broadcasting, with a distinctive voice and persona that he has cultivated over decades,' Melendez said in his Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit. 6 Melendez is suing a pair of podcasters over secret phone recordings. Getty Images Melendez rose to fame on the Howard Stern show, where he was known for asking celebrities offensive questions and then taking the abuse they hurled his way. 'Melendez's name and likeness carry significant fame and goodwill among audiences,' he contended in the Aug. 7 legal filing, adding Heberger and Egar were 'not as well-known.' Egar also worked for Stern until 2024. He and Melendez were coworkers on the show for about a year. At the center of the complaint is an event held in Rochester last August called 'DabbleCon 2,' aimed at online fans who 'dabble' in internet gossip. Heberger, 47, and Egar, 50, allegedly teased juicy portions of secret phone calls between Melendez and comedian Kate Meaney, in which he makes unsolicited advances towards her. 6 Egar worked on the Howard Stern show until last year. The Howard Stern Show/ YouTube The duo has systematically used excerpts of those recordings, along with Melendez' picture and other personal material, as the centerpiece of their podcast and comedy act for months, Melendez said in the legal filing. Heberger and Egar even trespassed on his Los Angeles property and rifled through his trash to snatch sofa cushions from an old couch to display as a 'comedic exhibit' in Rochester, he alleged. The pair 'put the used cushions on display for attendees to photograph and joke about' essentially treating his 'discarded trash as a trophy,' Melendez claimed in the lawsuit. 6 Heberger called Melendez' lawsuit frivolous. @whoarethesepod/X 'The stunt was clearly intended to ridicule plaintiff and to further entice fans by offering a bizarrely intimate connection to him,' it states. 'This lawsuit is completely frivolous and without merit,' Heberger told The Post, denying any wrongdoing and slamming it as an 'asinine attempt at a money-grab.' 'This lawsuit is a sad attempt from a sad man to make money,' added Egar. 6 Melendez said the podcasters stole an old couch from his trash to mock him. Obtained by the NY Post 6 Melendez said he was at the center of 'Dabblecon 2' without his knowledge or consent. Obtained by the NY Post It's not the first time Melendez has gone after people for using his voice. In 2020, he sued SiriusXM, claiming the company exploited his name and voice to promote Stern's show when he left after 15 years. He ultimately lost the case. 'John is not an intelligent man. We've watched him make the same mistakes over and over,' added Heberger. Melendez was on 'The Howard Stern Show' from 1988 to 2004 when he left to become the new announcer on 'The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,' where he worked in various capacities until 2014. 6 Melendez rose to fame as Howard Stern's sidekick. FilmMagic In 2018, he launched 'The Stuttering John Podcast,' where he gained attention for a prank call to President Trump. The podcast ran until December. Since then, he's been doing stand-up shows and Cameo videos. Melendez's lawyer did not respond to The Post's request for comment.
