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Mathew Rosengart, the pop star's lawyer,
accused Jamie Spears of trying to link his departure from his
13-year-long role with payment of some $2 million in fees to his
attorneys and for experts handling the media.
"Britney Spears will not be extorted," Rosengart said in
documents filed with Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday.
"Mr. Spears blatant attempt to barter (his) suspension and
removal in exchange for approximately $2 million in payments, on
top of the millions already reaped from Ms. Spears’s estate by
Mr. Spears and his associates, is a non-starter," Rosengart
said.
Jamie Spears said for the first time earlier this month that he
would relinquish control of his daughter's $60 million estate
because he did not believe that a public battle would be in her
best interests.
But he gave no date for his departure and said he first wanted
to get the latest bills for work by his attorneys approved by
the court. Under conservatorship rules, Britney Spears pays for
all costs incurred by her and others.
"Having finally acknowledged that his time as conservator should
end, Mr. Spears is obligated to step down without condition and
without seeking to extract anything further from his daughter.
Indeed, Mr. Spears should resign now and if he does not, this
Court must suspend him on September 29th," Rosengart said in the
filing.
The next court hearing in the increasingly contentious case is
set for Sept. 29.
Jamie Spears has controlled much of his daughter's life since
2008 when she suffered a mental health breakdown. The "Toxic"
pop star, now 39, has been trying for more than a year to remove
her father from the conservatorship and has refused to perform
again while he remains in place.
Lawyers for Jamie Spears did not immediately respond to a
request for comment on the latest filing. Jamie Spears has
repeatedly said that he has acted only in his daughter's
interests, to rebuild her finances and protect her from people
trying to exploit her.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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