>>14275173
kek the irony
and
Cuomo regarding groping and Weinstein investigation
says
"completed in 45 days" kek again
New York's governor wants to know if Manhattan's district attorney was improperly influenced by the disgraced movie mogul.
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Associated Press, News Partner
Posted Tue, Mar 20, 2018 at 10:10 am ET|
Updated Tue, Mar 20, 2018 at 10:11 am ET
https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/cuomo-orders-investigation-das-handling-weinstein-case
Crime & Safety
Cuomo Orders Investigation Into DA's Handling Of Weinstein Case
NEW YORK, NY โ New York's governor has ordered the state attorney general to review a 2015 decision by Manhattan prosecutors not to pursue a sex abuse case against Harvey Weinstein.
The directive came Monday, just hours after Time's Up โ an initiative started by a powerhouse group of Hollywood industry women to fight systemic sexual harassment โ called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to investigate.
In a statement, the group said a report in New York Magazine on the handling of the case was disturbing because it suggested Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's office may have been improperly influenced by Weinstein and sought to intimidate an Italian model who accused the disgraced media mogul of groping her.
"It is critical not only that these cases are given the utmost attention but also that there is public confidence in the handling of these cases," Cuomo said in a statement.
Scores of new allegations against Weinstein have surfaced since last fall, and both the New York Police Department and the district attorney's office have said they are working together. But no grand jury has been convened, despite police officials saying publicly they have enough evidence to bring a case.
Less than two weeks ago, the police department's chief of detectives said witnesses were ready for the grand jury โ but it was up to the district attorney to decide when to convene it. Prosecutors said Monday the case was still under active investigation.
Cuomo, a Democrat, asked that the review be conducted "in a way that does not interfere with the current investigation," but added that the district attorney believes the ongoing investigation will be completed within 45 days.
The New York Magazine article centers on the case of Ambra Battilana Gutierrez. In 2015, police conducted a sting after she accused Weinstein of groping her, secretly recording Weinstein apologizing for this conduct.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. ultimately decided there was not enough proof and did not bring a case.
Following criticism over the decision last year, prosecutors said police arranged the sting without their knowledge and there were other proof issues, but police pushed back saying they had presented enough evidence.
Danny Frost, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, said the allegations in the magazine had "little resemblance to the facts. The office has an "unwavering" commitment to justice in such case and great admiration "for the courageous women and men who have brought about a long-overdue reckoning with decades of intolerable sexual abuse," he said.
He also said the office would provide any necessary information for the review, and was confident it would find the office acted properly.
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