The Carmen Group has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against New York-based businessman Raffaello Follieri, a glamorous young Italian with a Hollywood girlfriend, whose business dealings have lately brought him a new kind of publicity.
The suit, filed last month in D.C. Superior Court, alleges that Follieri hired the firm in May to provide media and public relations services and agreed to pay a $25,000-a-month retainer for one year. The account summary filed with the lawsuit shows a single $25,000 payment in June and more than $8,600 in unpaid expenses. The Carmen Group is asking the court to award more than $300,000 in unpaid fees, expenses, interest and attorney fees.
