New York DA Cyrus Vance passed on going after Harvey Weinstein in 2015 for sexual assault….
NY Governor Cuomo has been asked to review Vance’s decsison NOT to go after Weinstein….
Ah?….Weinstein’s lawyer’s contributed to Vances’s last re-election effort …..
Vance has returned the donation….
Vance’s office is again investigating sexual assault claims against Weinstein…
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo directed the state attorney general on Monday to review how the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., handled a 2015 sexual assault allegation against the movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Mr. Vance decided not to prosecute Mr. Weinstein even though his accuser, an Italian model, had provided police officers with a recording of Mr. Weinstein apologizing when she asked him why he had groped her breasts the day before.
Mr. Vance said at the time that there was insufficient evidence, a defense he repeated last year after an outpouring of accusations against Mr. Weinstein reopened scrutiny of the decision, and also cast light on Mr. Vance’s acceptance of campaign donations from Mr. Weinstein’s lawyers.
“We are confident that any review will confirm that our office has pursued its investigation without fear or favor, based on the merits alone,” Danny Frost, a spokesman for the district attorney, said in a statement on Monday evening. He said the office would provide the attorney general with “any necessary information.”
Mr. Cuomo’s announcement of the investigation, which will be conducted by Eric T. Schneiderman, came hours after Time’s Up, the star-powered organization dedicated to fighting sexual harassment in Hollywood and beyond, wrote a letter to the governor calling on him to open an investigation into Mr. Vance’s decision…..
After months of investigating, a handful of criminal cases involving Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein are now in the hands of two veteran but cautious prosecutors: Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey and Manhattan Dist. Atty. Cyrus R. Vance Jr.
In Los Angeles, the investigation is focused on an Italian actress’ allegation of rape in 2013. In New York, detectives have turned their attention to a student-actress’ accusation she was forced to orally copulate the producer in 2004 and another actress’ allegation of rape in 2010….
Note…
After trying and failing to find a buyer, the Weinstein Company is officially filing for bankruptcy — which is a game changer for Harvey Weinstein’s alleged victims….
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….when the Weinstein Company finally announced that it would file for bankruptcy after reaching a deal with Lantern Capital Partners, a private equity firm that hopes to acquire the company through the bankruptcy process (though others could, and perhaps will, make a higher bid).
In doing so, the company said in its initial announcement, it will also release victims of and witnesses to Weinstein’s alleged crimes from any nondisclosure agreements they might have signed regarding Weinstein….
image of Cuomo, Weinstein and Vance…PageSix.Com