Harvey Weinstein's lawyer responds: there was 'zero discrimination'

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This was published 6 years ago

Harvey Weinstein's lawyer responds: there was 'zero discrimination'

New York: Harvey Weinstein has hired high-profile defence attorney Ben Brafman to defend him against a scathing law suit issued by the New York Attorney-General.

Brafman has come out swinging against allegations - both criminal and civil - which have made Weinstein's name a global byword for sexual harassment and assault.

Harvey Weinstein has hired high-profile defence attorney Ben Brafman to defend him.

Harvey Weinstein has hired high-profile defence attorney Ben Brafman to defend him.Credit: AP

The latest legal attack is civil rights suit issued by Attorney-General Eric T. Schneiderman, which alleges Weinstein's "assistants were exposed to and required to facilitate" his "sex life as a condition of employment".

Brafman responded in a statement distributed globally, however that: "We believe that a fair investigation by Mr Schneiderman will demonstrate that many of the allegations against Harvey Weinstein are without merit.

"While Mr Weinstein's behaviour was not without fault, there certainly was no criminality, and at the end of the inquiry it will be clear that Harvey Weinstein promoted more women to key executive positions than any other industry leader and there was zero discrimination at either Miramax or [The Weinstein Company].

"If the purpose of the inquiry is to encourage reform throughout the film industry, Mr Weinstein will embrace the investigation. If the purpose however is to scapegoat Mr Weinstein, he will vigorously defend himself."

Brafman was described in a recent New Yorker article as "The Last of the Big-Time Defence Attorneys". His clients have included the former head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Michael Jackson, and the man known by some as "the most hated man in the world," former pharmaceutical company executive, Martin Shkreli.

Schneiderman's suit alleges that Weinstein required executive assistants to arrange his sexual encounters, even directing them to "essentially badger women who refused or expressed reluctance".

One group of Weinstein's assistants kept copies of a document known as the "Bible" detailing a list of Weinstein's "friends" and instructions on arranging his "personals," or sexual encounters. Drivers for Weinstein in New York and Los Angeles were required to keep condoms and erectile dysfunction injections in the car at all times, according to the law suit.

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Weinstein also subjected several employees to threats such as "I will kill you, I will kill your family, and "you don't know what I can do," the suit says. He allegedly made offers or demands of sexual favours in exchange for career advancement at the company.

The lawsuit alleges that the company funded and facilitated encounters during which Weinstein "engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with numerous women."

Fairfax Media, Washington Post

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