On the heels of a New Yorker report about Harvey Weinstein’s employment of investigators and ex-Massad agents to bury his predatory behavior, law enforcement entities in New York City are preparing to make their move. The New York Post reports that the Manhattan District Attorney will soon seek an indictment against the former powerhouse producer.
This could happen as soon as next week, and the charges would revolve around Boardwalk Empire actress Paz de la Huerta’s allegations that Weinstein raped her on two occasions in 2010. The NYPD stated last week that they finally had “an actual case” against Weinstein, meaning that — unlike most of the accusations against Weinstein — de la Huerta’s claims fall within the New York statute of limitations for sexual assault cases.
As Page Six reports, however, the NYPD and the Manhattan DA have been arguing among themselves over who gets to put Weinstein in cuffs:
There has been bad blood between the two law enforcement arms since each blamed the other for botching a 2015 case against Weinstein based on allegations by an Italian model — and the DA’s office was irate when police officials last week told the press that they were just waiting on Vance to come through with the warrant, a source said.
[District Attorney Cy] Vance instead plans on presenting a case to a grand jury first and waiting for an indictment, law enforcement sources said.
Reportedly, Vance will then ask a judge to issue an arrest warrant that will allow law enforcement to pull Weinstein out of Arizona, where he’s currently said to be attending outpatient treatment and staying at a luxury resort.
Within her allegations, de la Huerta stated that she was “terrified” when Weinstein twice overpowered her in her Manhattan apartment. She’s one of dozens of women who have come forward over the past month to accuse him of sexual harassment and/or sexual assault. In turn, this outpouring has prompted a widespread discussion on whether statutes of limitation should be abolished for such offenses.
(Via New York Post & Yahoo)