Donna Adelson Trial: Clariza Spoltore Testifies on Dental Office Payments and Family Finances

Donna Adelson Trial: Clariza Spoltore Testifies on Dental
Office Payments and Family Finances
The Trial of Donna Adelson took a turn into the
world of the Adelson family’s dental practice when
Clariza Spoltore—a longtime dental assistant who
worked for Dr. Harvey Adelson for forty years—took the stand. Her
testimony gave jurors an insider’s view of the Adelson Institute,
the family-run office where both Harvey and Charlie Adelson
worked, and where financial dealings may have overlapped with the
murder-for-hire plot against Dan Markel.

Spoltore testified that throughout her decades of service, she
never saw Katherine Magbanua—the woman
prosecutors say acted as the go-between in the murder
plot—working in the office. Yet, Magbanua appeared to receive
payments tied to the practice, raising serious red flags.
Spoltore also explained that only Donna and Dr. Harvey
Adelson had access to certain records, underscoring the
level of control they maintained over finances and
administration.

On cross-examination, the defense pressed Spoltore on whether she
had ever heard Donna speak poorly of Dan Markel. She said no—she
had never personally witnessed Donna express hostility toward her
former son-in-law. But prosecutors argue the real issue wasn’t
casual remarks, it was the money trail and the
financial records Donna could manage behind closed doors.

Why does this matter? Because Spoltore’s words help connect the
dots between the Adelsons’ professional lives and the conspiracy
prosecutors allege Donna orchestrated. If Magbanua was being paid
without working, those payments could represent hidden
compensation for her role in the plot. With her credibility as a
loyal employee of four decades, Spoltore’s testimony added weight
to the prosecution’s theory that the family’s dental business
wasn’t just about dentistry—it was also a financial vehicle for
covering up a murder-for-hire scheme.

#DonnaAdelsonTrial #ClarizaSpoltore #AdelsonInstitute
#DonnaAdelson #CharlieAdelson #KatherineMagbanua #DanMarkel
#TrueCrime #FloridaTrial #CourtroomDrama