Weinstein finally heading to prison after heart operation
RAPIST Harvey Weinstein underwent heart surgery while locked up at a New York hospital ahead of his transfer to prison.
According to reports in the US, the disgraced movie mogul had a stent fitted onWednesday night.
Yesterday Weinstein, 67, was said to be in a stable condition after the four-hour operation as he was due to be taken to the North Infirmary at the notorious Rikers Island prison.
A source said: “He’s nervous, but he isn’t in control and has to deal with it.”
Following his conviction 11 days ago, the producer has avoided prison after being taken to New York’s Bellevue Hospital after complaining of chest pains.
He suffered heart palpitations and high blood pressure and was re-routed to the infirmary. He’s been holed up in a private hospital room ever since.
Weinstein was found guilty of the rape in the third degree and criminal sexual assault in the first degree of two women.
First-degree sex crimes involve the use of force or threat while in third-degree offences victims are unable to give consent through, in Weinstein’s case, fear.
The powerhouse film producer was cleared of the two most serious charges of predatory sexual assault that would have seen him automatically sentenced to life in prison. He was also found not guilty of a fifth charge of rape in the first degree.
The millionaire faces up to 29 years behind bars when he sentenced onWednesday.
Weinstein was set to move from Bellevue Hospital to Rikers Island yesterday, according to his spokesman Juda Engelmayer, after seeking to remain at the hospital until sentencing.
The movie mogul has always denied sexual misconduct and has vowed to appeal his conviction.
More than 80 women have accused him but only two have had their claims prosecuted.
Weinstein is also still awaiting a case in Los Angeles. see their extra annual payment for duties increase from £15,928 to £16,422 in April.
Duncan Simpson, research director at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “This will infuriate the over-taxed public. Taxpayers have made it clear they want the cost of politics to go down, yet politicians have been given an even bigger, inflationbusting pay rise than last year.
“In the private sector, pay rises are rewarded based on performance, not for just turning up. Ipsa is once again out of touch with the public who have to pay for it.”
Garry Graham, deputy general secretary of the managerial and specialist workers union Prospect, said many civil servants have seen average pay increases capped at two per cent over the past year. He said: “If MPs are to avoid being accused of hypocrisy, they need to ensure the staff who serve and support the Government receive pay awards of at
least this level this year.” Ipsa interim chair Richard Lloyd said: “Our review of MPs’ staffing budgets in 2019 found demands on MPs’ offices were high, with staff doing difficult and stressful casework with constituents on a very wide range of problems.
“We have provided additional funding in MPs’ 2020/21 staffing budgets for staff training and welfare, security, and changes to the