Weinstein ‘hired gossip snoop’

A GOSSIP writer says Harvey Weinstein tried to recruit him to pose as an author to get dirt on the women who accused him of sexual assault. Appearing on

Heather McDonald’s “Juicy Scoop” podcast, former New York columnist A. J. Benza said that in December of last year, Weinstein — a longtime contact — had asked to meet at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles. Benza claims Weinstein said New York Magazine was trying to “do a Bill Cosby” on him. Benza says the shamed mogul — whohas been accused by more than 80 womenof sexual misconduct, harassment, assault or rape — told him, “We’ve got to come up with a plan where you can figure out who’s talking to New York Magazine. Maybe you can pose as an author writing a book that slams me.” Benza — who said he wouldn’t have considered working on the faux book if he had known the extent of the accusations that would eventually be made against Weinstein — says he didn’t think the plan would work, but that Weinstein offered to pay him $20,000 a month for the job. As The New Yorker reported, Weinstein eventually hired private detectives to find out who was talking to the press about him, but it all backfired. A rep for Weinstein told Page Six, “Mr. Benza is a friend of Mr. Weinstein’s but they clearly have a difference of opinion. Mr. Weinstein asked Mr. Benza if he had heard anything about a New York Magazine article, but never asked him to write a book.”