Picture imperfect
Say jail boss’ staff eyed in leak of Harv’s photo
An investigation into who leaked an image of Harvey Weinstein in custody at Rikers Island is focused on city Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann’s inner circle, sources tell the Daily News.
The Department of Investigation’s probe into who provided WPIX with a photo of the perv producer eating breakfast alone in jail before he was sentenced to 23 years in prison has sparked suspicions among employees at Correction Department headquarters, sources say.
Brann’s driver, a correction officer, was transferred to a different unit due to belief he leaked the image, sources said.
Sources say that suspicion was misplaced. Investigators now consider an assistant deputy warden working at Correction Department headquarters the prime suspect, a source familiar with the probe tells The News.
“After the ravenous media coverage of Mr. Weinstein’s legal troubles, that likely had an impact on his ability to receive a fair trial, it was particularly unsettling to see that someone entrusted with maintaining the integrity of the prison system would feed into that media frenzy by leaking a photograph of Mr. Weinstein while in custody,” Weinstein attorney Imran Ansari said.
“No matter what one is imprisoned for, or who they are, our justice system calls for that person to be treated with a level of respect and decency, and certainly not treated as a spectacle for public ridicule and amusement.”
Reps for DOI and the Correction Department declined to comment. The News is not naming the driver or assistant deputy warden because neither has been publicly accused by authorities.
Fitzgerald David, a retired correction officer who runs a private Facebook group featuring information from inside the Correction Department, said he knew the identity of the leaker. Neither Brann’s driver or the assistant deputy warden did the deed, he said. “I can tell you for sure, they’re barking up the wrong tree. They need to look higher up in the food chain,” David said.
The outspoken critic of the department said his sources provide him information because morale is at rock bottom throughout the ranks. “I’m not helping with any internal investigation. F—k them,” David said.
Weinstein’s life behind bars prior to his conviction was the subject of intense public interest. The disgraced movie mogul arrived to court using a walker and needed assistance when using stairs.
He continues to face health problems. A court filing last month revealed Weinstein suffers from major back problems, heart disease and other ailments.
The Correction Department took steps in recent years to address rampant leaks of videos of violent incidents, inmates’ mug shots and other images.
Among other measures, the department placed a “watermark” indicating which correction employee was viewing a video, raising the risk for would-be leakers. The Weinstein image, sources noted, lacked the watermark, hinting that the leaker possibly had high-level access to the department’s information technology unit.