From left to right: Cyrus Vance, Harvey Weinstein, and Andrew Cuomo.
AP Images
Time's Up — the legal defense fund started this year in light of the #MeToo movement — has called on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to investigate reports that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance mishandled a sexual assault investigation into Harvey Weinstein in 2015.
The letter, first reported by The Cut, calls on the governor to review why Vance's office did not prosecute Weinstein after Italian model Ambra Battilana filed a report with the NYPD alleging she had been groped and harassed by the Hollywood mogul.
NYPD investigators convinced Battilana to meet with Weinstein again while wearing a wire to record their conversation. The New Yorker published the recording from the sting operation in October 2017. On the tape, Weinstein can be heard admitting to groping Battilana, saying, “I’m used to that. Come on. Please. ... I won’t do it again."
A NYPD source told the New Yorker they had "more than enough evidence to prosecute Weinstein," but Vance reportedly decided not to move forward in the case under the premise that there wasn't enough to support a criminal charge.
The Time's Up letter was sent after New York Magazine reported on Vance's handling of the case. According to the report published last week, Vance's office allegedly worked to undermine Battilana because they were "gun-shy" about prosecuting high-profile defendants.
"Reports that District Attorney Cyrus Vance could have been improperly influenced by Mr. Weinstein and/or his representatives, and that senior officials within the DA’s office may have sought to intimidate Battilana are particularly disturbing and merit investigation," the Time's Up letter reads. "Similarly, reports that the New York Police Department chose to isolate Battilana from Vance’s staff because they feared his office was actively working to discredit her story demand immediate scrutiny."
Vance's office had no immediate comment on the letter, but told BuzzFeed News that a statement would be issued later in the day. A representative for Cuomo's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Time's Up wants the governor to look into "the full decision-making process" in the case, including any correspondence between the district attorney's office and any of Weinstein's representatives.
The letter raised concerns about the reported strained relationship between the NYPD's special victims unit and the district attorney's sex crime's unit, which may make it less likely that sex assault victim will come forward to file reports against the rich and powerful.
"Greater awareness of sexual abuse crimes is essential, but it is hollow and can even be a deterrent if survivors cannot access justice through fair and unbiased prosecution," the Time's Up letter states.
Weinstein still also faces potential criminal charges in California and the UK following investigations by the New York Times and the New Yorker that revealed decades of sexual harassment and assault allegations against the now-disgraced producer. He also faces multiple civil lawsuits regarding allegations of sexual assault.
LINK: Uma Thurman Opened Up About Harvey Weinstein, Saying He "Attacked" Her In His Hotel Room
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