Att’y seeks email cache to fight off bust

HARVEY WEINSTEIN’S lawyer says he’s working hard to stave off an arrest in New York and needs access to the pariah producer’s old emails to do his job.

Benjamin Brafman said his client’s former firm, the Weinstein Co., has a cache of “hundreds of thousands” of emails and texts sent or received by Weinstein that could help the disgraced movie mogul amid two pending investigations by the Manhattan district attorney and U.S. attorney’s office.

“The investigations of Mr. Weinstein are continuing as we speak. I am trying my very best to persuade both the federal and state prosecutors that he should not be arrested and or indicted,” Brafman said in the declaration filed late last week in the Weinstein Co.’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case out of Delaware.

“Mr. Weinstein cannot fully refute the charges being levied against him, many of which are more than 20 years old, without access to the discovery requested,” the lawyer said.

Brafman claimed the defense team already has obtained at least “one important email that substantially undermined the credibility” of one of Weinstein’s “principal” accusers.

Without naming the accuser, Brafman said the “email in question proved that within days after the alleged first forcible rape, the woman, through her agent, reached out to Mr. Weinstein, begging to be invited to a high-profile industry party as Mr. Weinstein’s personal VIP guest.”

He said the defense believes “comparable emails” and other correspondence exists in the Weinstein Co.’s possession and should be turned over as soon as possible.

The lawyer said Weinstein (photo) remains in some type of unidentified treatment.

Meanwhile, a special grand jury has been convened to hear testimony about sexual assault and potential financial fraud related to Weinstein. The panel was sworn in and told that Weinstein is on the agenda.

Weinstein, 66, is under criminal investigation in New York, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and London for allegations ranging from sexual harassment to rape.

So far, he has not faced any criminal charges and denies any allegations of nonconsensual sex.