Weinstein sued by New York AG
Move follows investigation into sex misconduct allegations
NEW YORK — New York’s attorney general on Sunday filed a lawsuit against disgraced Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Co. after an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
“As alleged in our complaint, The
Weinstein Company repeatedly broke New
York law by failing to protect its employees from pervasive sexual harassment, intimidation, and discrimination,” state Attorney
General Eric Schneiderman said in court papers.
Schneiderman launched a civil rights probe into the New York Citybased company in October after The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed allegations of sexual assault and harassment spanning decades. The company later fired Weinstein.
Weinstein’s attorney, Ben Brafman, released a statement Sunday evening saying many of the allegations against his client are “without merit.”
“While Mr. Weinstein’s behavior was not without fault, there certainly was no criminality, and at the end of the inquiry it will be clear that Harvey Weinstein promoted more women to key executive positions than any other industry leader and there was zero discrimination at either Miramax or TWC,” Brafman said.
Scores of women, including wellknown actresses, have come forward with stories of forced sexual encounters. Weinstein was fired by the film company he founded with brother Robert and expelled from Hollywood’s movie academy.
The attorney general’s office said the lawsuit was filed on Sunday partly because of reports of the company’s sale, saying it believed it would leave victims without adequate redress.