Gloria Allred’s October Surprise: Romney Lied Under Oath

Celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred is trying to fry Mitt Romney by exposing the candidate’s sworn testimony on behalf of a fat-cat buddy to basically screw over his wife.

Allred promised an “October Surprise” and just may deliver. A noted Obama supporter, she is in court today representing one of the parties involved as The Boston Globe attempts to get some documents unsealed and have a gag order lifted from a prior court case.

Supposedly, Mitt Romney testified in the messy divorce hearing between his friend and business contact, former CEO of Staples Tom Stemberg, and Stemberg’s now ex-wife Maureen back in 1987. RadarOnline.com quoted a source as saying: “Governor Mitt Romney gave sworn testimony about his observations of Tom’s role as a father to his four sons.”

However, TMZ claims that Romney actually testified to the value of Staples, claiming it was essentially worthless, calling the stock “overvalued,” which resulted in Maureen getting very little in the divorce settlement. But, shortly thereafter, Tom and Mitt cashed in their stock for damn near a fortune.

Maureen and Tom Stemberg.

Maureen Stemberg appears still embittered about the proceedings, posting on the Huffington Post last month:

She goes on to describe a Christmas party held at her house where Mitt and his wife, Ann, exerted great effort to be “real,” and claims that they dislike and fear anyone who isn’t enormously wealthy.

In an 2008 Lifetime documentary, The Maureen Sullivan Stemberg Story: A Portrait in Courage, she gives an “in-depth account … of the interweaving relationships and strange bedfellow that business has made in her life… which include Mitt Romney.”

Back in 2006, the Globe reported on Stemberg’s “paternal shortcomings,” describing how, when Stemberg lived with his second wife and their young children, he cut out his then 12-year-old son with his wife Maureen. TMZ reports here that he won custody of the child, made allegations of abuse against Maureen, and then later wrote to the boy: “It will not be possible for you to be part of our family in the foreseeable future”, because of the child’s supposed misbehavior, blaming his child for taking sides and creating unnecessary hassles during their divorce.

What’s more, according to TMZ, Maureen suffered from MS and had multiple bouts with cancer, but got a visit from one of Tom’s guys informing her that Tom was cancelling her health insurance. TMZ also points out the irony that Tom was working as one of then Governor Romney’s chief health care advisers.

Enter Gloria Allred. Her client feels that the public deserves to be aware of Mitt Romney’s role in this case, as his testimony speaks to the character of the Presidential hopeful. TMZ also reports that Maureen had lost her house and struggled financially since.

Another hearing will be held on Thursday before a judge decides whether or not to unseal Romney’s testimony.