Weinstein goes to court to retrieve personal emails

CHICAGO: Movie producer Harvey Weinstein asked a US bankruptcy judge on Friday to order his company, which filed for Chapter 11 protection in March, to turn over personal emails that he says are relevant to ongoing civil and criminal investigations against him.

Harvey Weinstein, who co-founded the Weinstein Company with his brother Bob, has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 70 women. He has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone.

In a filing with the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers said the bankrupt company has refused to provide him access to emails and personal files that they said would exonerate him. Harvey Weinstein, once one of Hollywood’s most influential film producers, was ousted as cochairman of the Weinstein Company in October 2017 when accusations against him became public. “(The Weinstein Company’s) continued refusal to permit Mr. Weinstein to access these emails has significantly impinged his ability to effectively defend himself from these allegations and is a continuing deprivation of his due process rights,” his attorneys wrote in the filing.

Harvey Weinstein is the target of federal and state criminal investigations in at least four different jurisdictions, including New York, Los Angeles, and London, which have requested documentation relating to their cases, according to the filing. — Reuters