Britney Spears' father borrowed $40,000 from the company he later hired to manage her estate when she was put under a conservatorship.
Jamie Spears allegedly secured funds from his Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group – which is owned by his daughter's former manager, Lou Taylor – while the 'Toxic' singer was hospitalised on an involuntary psychiatric hold in 2008 and days later, he filed a petition in a California court to take control of his daughter's affairs.
The judge approved the request for the conservatorship and the following year, Jamie hired Tri-Star to manage Britney's estate, sparking concerns about the motive for him wanting control of Britney's life.
National Guardianship Association incoming president Anthony Palmieri told the New York Times newspaper the decision "reeks of conflict of interest".
He added: "It makes me wonder where the allegiance lies. Is the conservator making decisions in the best interest of the conservatee or the business manager who they owe a debt to?"
Lou's lawyer, Charles Harder, insisted Jamie repaid the loan and denied it had any impact on Tri Star's work with the conservatorship.
He said in an email: “A small loan, later repaid, had no affect on Tri Star’s work for the estate in later years.”
Earlier this month, Jamie filed a formal complaint against the 'Circus' hitmaker and her team in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The 69-year-old patriarch claimed he wanted to tie up loose ends and move on after Britney's conservatorship was officially dissolved, but blasted the 40-year-old singer's "temporary conservators" for dragging out the process.
He also accused Britney and her team of releasing "statements with no other purpose than to attack" him and trying to depict him as a "disgraced, suspended conservator."