7 Harvey Weinstein Accusers Ask New York AG to Renegotiate ‘Insulting’ $25 Million Civil Settlement
Seven women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct have implored New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, to renegotiate the terms of a $25 million civil settlement that some of Weinstein’s accusers have tentatively reached with the convicted producer so that it “adequately compensates victims and doesn’t fund the alleged wrongdoers’ defense.”
The open letter from Zoë Brock, Alexandra Canosa, Rowena Chiu, Wedil David, Dominique Huett, Zelda Perkins, and Kaja Sokola and published on Medium called the settlement “insulting to all of the survivors.” The accusers said the money only “represents a small fraction of what should be paid by Mr. Weinstein, his former directors and officers, and large multi-billion dollar insurance companies.”
The letter went further, condemning how the money would be divided: “By supporting a settlement which takes funds that would otherwise go to a victim to a victimizer, the Attorney General’s Office will effectively be working to recover funds on behalf of Harvey Weinstein to fill a war chest to be used for his ongoing campaign against his victims. We would ask that you, as Attorney General, closely examine the proposed settlement and renegotiate the terms so that the victims’ fund adequately compensates victims and doesn’t fund the alleged wrongdoers’ defense, and swiftly reject the punitive terms applicable to non-settling victims which put such severe restrictions on their ability to pursue justice on their own terms.”
Also Read: How Harvey Weinstein's Survivors Will Split Expected $25 Million Settlement
“Attorney General James has been steadfast in her pursuit of justice for victims. Since the emergence of allegations in 2017, our office has sought to hold Harvey Weinstein accountable for his conduct against women. We remain keenly focused on providing these brave women with the justice they are owed and to fight for the best settlement that is possible in bankruptcy court,” a spokesperson for James told TheWrap in a statement.
Last December, more than 30 accusers reached a tentative settlement with Weinstein and his now-bankrupt company that would essentially get rid of all outstanding lawsuits. $25 million of the $47 million settlement would be for victims; of that $25 million, $6.2 million would be split among 18 of his accusers, with none of those 18 individuals to receive more than $500,000.
The remaining $18.5 million allocated for the accusers would be part of a pool of money for those in a class-action suit against Weinstein, the New York Attorney General’s civil suit against Weinstein, and any future claimants. To determine how those payments are allocated, a court-appointed monitor will make calculations based on the harm caused to each victim.
“Survivors are being presented with a ‘choice’ of accepting an unfair settlement that is a fraction of what was originally discussed and for which the main wrongdoers are paying nothing, or proceed against a company that has been stripped of all assets and against our sexual assaulter, whose defense will be funded by the very agreement that would otherwise have been turned down,” the seven women also wrote. “There is nothing fair or just about this.”
Read original story 7 Harvey Weinstein Accusers Ask New York AG to Renegotiate ‘Insulting’ $25 Million Civil Settlement At TheWrap
