A TMZ story that a clerk in the courthouse asked Meek Mill for money during his probation violation hearing has triggered a formal court investigation ... TMZ has learned.
Sources familiar with the matter tell us, judges and other personnel are now investigating the circumstances surrounding a note that court clerk Wanda Chavarria gave Meek, telling him she has bad credit and needs money for her son's college tuition.
The clerk told TMZ she did indeed give Meek the note ... she says because they are both from Philly and they take care of their own. Chavarria says the judge in the case was not aware of the note.
The judge -- Genece Brinkley -- is herself in the hot seat. Meek's lawyers say she was trying to strong-arm Meek into changing managers to a friend of hers. Meek says she also asked him to rerecord a Boyz II Men song and give her a shout-out.