Attorney Mary Farren is suing her husband, former Bush White House lawyer John Michael Farren, for $30 million after he allegedly beat her with a flashlight and strangled her in their Connecticut home.
Mary Farren filed the civil suit in Stamford Superior Court last week, according to the Stamford Advocate. She asked the court for a $30 million pre-judgment remedy, saying she can’t work because of her injuries.
Police charged John Michael Farren with attempted murder after he allegedly beat his wife and strangled her on Jan. 6, leaving her bleeding and unconscious. Police say she regained consciousness, hit a panic room alarm in their home and then fled to a neighbor’s with the couple’s two young daughters.
Farren plead not guilty to attempted murder, strangulation and first-degree assault. He is being held on $2 million bond and was reportedly placed on suicide watch after threatening to kill himself.
Mary Farren, who works for the D.C. firm Skadden Arps, told the court in her suit that she doesn’t want her husband using their assets, including a $4 million home, to pay his bonds. She also argued she may lose income if her husband is convicted and sent to jail. The state of Connecticut has already temporarily suspended his law license.
John Michael Farren served as counsel in the George W. Bush administration from 2007 until the end of Bush’s term. Before that, he was a lawyer for Xerox and also worked in the Interior Department.
