The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office has confirmed that it is investigating eight separate cases against Harvey Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer whose sexual assault trial gets underway in New York early next month.
A spokesperson for DA Jackie Lacey confirmed to USA Today the total number of cases under investigation — four long-in-the-works cases stemming from the Los Angeles Police Department, and four from the Beverly Hills Police Department. The Beverly Hills police previously said in January 2018 that it passed two cases of sexual assault its says occurred in their jurisdiction.
In November 2017, Lacey established a special L.A. DA task force to look into allegations of sexual assault in the entertainment industry. No charges against Weinstein have been brought to date.
Weinstein has seen dozens of accusations against him beginning in late 2017 after exposés in the New York Times and the New Yorker, including by actresses Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan and Annabella Sciorra, triggering the #MeToo movement that continues to resonate. He has maintained all his encounters were consensual and has pleaded not guilty to the five New York charges of rape and sexual abuse.
He also is at the center of a civil lawsuit in New York involving his former company The Weinstein Company and dozens of alleged victims. That case has been near a reported $25 million settlement recently, but it has been facing criticism for potential payouts that would go toward Weinstein’s legal fees, and him not having to admit guilt to his accusers. Several victims said they plan to actively oppose the settlement.
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