Kelly has taken legal action to retrieve his commissary funds, which he claims were seized by the United States government to satisfy a judgment against him.
Court documents reveal that a hearing on the matter is set for Monday (March 18), with Assistant United States Attorney Kayla Bensing representing the government. The oral arguments will be livestreamed for public viewing.
The legal battle stems from a series of judgments against Kelly, including a ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court in March 2023 that granted access to Heather Williams, who was awarded a $4 million judgment against the singer in 2020.
Williams alleged that Kelly, when she was 16, lured her to his studio under false pretenses and engaged in sexual activity with her multiple times as a minor.
In August, U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly ordered Kelly and his label, Universal Music Group, to surrender over $500,000 in royalties to satisfy financial penalties. This order followed an earlier demand for Kelly to relinquish $28,000 from his prison commissary.
In response to the government’s seizure of his commissary funds, Kelly is appealing his conviction and the government’s actions.
The livestream announcement for the upcoming hearing stated that each side will be given ten minutes to present their arguments.
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This lawsuit comes after Kelly filed a separate lawsuit against the Bureau of Prisons in November, alleging that prison staff leaked his private emails and call logs to blogger Tasha K in 2019. Kelly’s legal team claims that Tasha K used the stolen information to harass him and create chaos in his personal life.
The lawsuit alleges negligence, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil theft, and civil conspiracy on the part of the Bureau of Prisons.
Despite an internal investigation by the Bureau of Prisons revealing that an officer leaked Kelly’s records, no charges were brought against the individual responsible.
Kelly’s lawyers assert that the leaks have continued, with incidents such as the seizure of his commissary funds occurring as a result.