Anna Delvey feels violated by ex-lawyer’s book plans
Anna Sorokin’s former lawyer plans to write a tell-all book about the fake heiress – a move that comes after she was disbarred and no longer has a “deterrent” to maintain attorney-client privilege, The Post has learned.
“She is trying to get as much as she can out of being associated with me and my story,” Sorokin — aka Anna Delvey — told The Post Monday about her ex-attorney Audrey Thomas.
Thomas belligerently went off in profanity-laced emails with Sorokin’s current lawyers and court staff last week, revealing she plans on publishing two books — including one about her headline-making former client, whose scamming exploits were the subject of the Netflix show “Inventing Anna.”
The email includes a mockup book cover with photos of the 32-year-old “Soho Grifter” and Thomas together titled “The Anna Delvey Reality.”
Sorokin filed suit against Thomas in September 2022 seeking the return of court records that she says she needs to help fight her deportation case and her 2019 grand larceny conviction in an appeals court.
“This has been going on for almost a year,” Sorokin said. “It’s really frustrating. The only reason she is doing it is just to spite me.”
Last week, Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron said that Thomas had one week to turn over the documents or she would be held in contempt and be ordered to pay Sorokin’s attorney’s fees.
Thomas was not present during the hearing and has not filed any court papers in the case, so Engoron’s clerk sent a “courtesy copy” of the order by email.
Thomas responded to the clerk’s email – in which Sorokin’s lawyers were copied – and said: “”How dumb are you, I CANT GIVE YOU WHAT I DON”T HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” according to court records, including the emails.
“I don’t have s—tttttt….Please leave me the f–k alone,” the email continued.
She informed Sorokin’s attorneys that they could go after her for legal fees once she publishes her books.
Sorokin said now that Thomas has been disbarred – for allegedly stealing $630,000 from a client in an unrelated 2013 case – she fears that all attorney-client privilege protections will fly out the window.
“Now that she is disbarred she has no incentive to comply with anything,” Sorokin told The Post. “So it’s pretty scary in a way. If she is capable of sending such emails to the court, what else is she going to do with my files?”
Sorokin’s attorney Duncan Levin told The Post, “Those emails speak for themselves as to her utter lack of professionalism – as does the fact that she was disbarred.”
“As a former attorney – even a disbarred one – she should know better than to address the court in such an inappropriate way,” Levin said.
Engoron gave Thomas until March 1 to turn over the records but in light of Thomas’ email Levin is now asking the judge to force her to “turn over her entire case file immediately.”
Levin also says that Thomas should have to pay Sorokin’s legal fees and be “harshly sanctioned” by the court.
Sorokin served four years in prison following her conviction for stealing $200,000 from banks and businesses. After her release in February 2021 she had to surrender to ICE for allegedly overstaying her visa and for having a felony conviction on her record.
Thomas told The Post Monday that Sorokin forfeited attorney-client privilege when she accused the jurist of misconduct.
“Under our amazing system of justice, there is no attorney client privilege when you accuse your lawyer of wrongdoing,” Thomas said. “This is especially true when your allegations are false.”
In regards to the emails, she said, “Well, that clearly was not meant for the court so I will send an apology to the law secretary, because that actually wasn’t meant for him.”
“But I meant every word that I said with reference to Duncan and his team,” she said.
