The move comes amid rumors the disgraced producer plans to head to Europe for sex rehab, leading to fears he will dodge prosecution in the U.S., just like what Roman Polanski did in 1978.
- Oct 12, 2017
AceShowbiz - FBI reportedly has opened investigation into Harvey Weinstein. According to Daily Mail, the Department of Justice, run by President Donald Trump's Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has ordered the probe with the bureau being instructed to investigate the mounting allegations leveled at the powerful Hollywood producer.
It's unclear if the order comes directly from Sessions, but the move by DOJ is likely to be seen as highly political, given the fact that Weinstein is such a vocal anti-Trump with ties to Trump's foe Hillary Clinton. The move also comes amid rumors the movie mogul plans to head to Europe for sex rehab, leading to fears he will dodge prosecution in the U.S., just like what Roman Polanski did in 1978.
TMZ reported before that Weinstein was set to leave the country on Tuesday, October 10 and fly to Europe, with Switzerland as the destination. But the plan changed, according to a new TMZ report. Weinstein and his team decided he would attend a live-in facility in Arizona to get treatment for both his sex addiction and other behavioral issues.
Weinstein has traveled the globe promoting his movies and it's believed that he could have committed sex crimes in several countries. As of now five accusers have given accounts of attacks in France, while claims of attacks in London have also emerged, any of which could lead to charges there. Having field offices in both countries, the FBI could assist prosecutors there with their cases.
While many of the abuse claims come from the 1990s, New York does not have a statue of limitations on rape and criminal sexual acts. And one of Weinstein's accusers, Lucia Evans, a student who wanted to be an actress, alleged the 65-year-old producer forced her to perform oral sex on him in New York in 2004.
A spokesperson for the FBI said in a statement, "We do not confirm or deny the existence of ongoing investigations." While it is not yet known if President Trump ordered Sessions to instruct the FBI or if it came from Sessions himself; Trump said he's not surprised by the sexual harassment and assault claims made against Weinstein. "I've known him for years. I'm not surprised," the president said shortly after news of the shock report on Thursday, October 5.
