Martha Bashford, sex crimes chief who didn’t prosecute Harvey Weinstein, resigns
The chief of the sex crimes unit at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office resigned on Friday — amid Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial, The Post has learned.
Martha Bashford put in her retirement papers after four decades with the office, DA Cyrus Vance Jr.’s office has confirmed.
“…40 years is a long time to stay in one place, and it is time for me to give notice that I will be moving on,” she wrote in a letter to Vance dated Feb. 7 and obtained by The Post. “Please tell whomever you choose to be the next Chief that they are getting by far the best position this Office has to offer — in my humble opinion.”
The sex crimes unit did not oversee the prosecution of Weinstein after Vance replaced veteran sex crimes prosecutor Maxine Rosenthal in 2018 with Assistant DA Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, who is not part of the unit.
Rosenthal came under fire after she allegedly referred to one of his accusers, who was later excised from the case over credibility issues, as one of “Harvey’s girls,” sources said.
On Bashford’s recommendation, Vance made the controversial call not to prosecute Weinstein in 2015 for allegedly groping Italian model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez even though the disgraced film mogul was captured on an NYPD audio recording apologizing for his conduct.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo later ordered an investigation in Vance’s handling of the case
https://nypost.com/2020/02/11/martha-bashford-sex-crimes-chief-who-didnt-prosecute-harvey-weinstein-resigns/