Summary: The alleged sexual predator Harvey Weinstein gave money to help Bill Clinton fight his own sexual allegations in addition to donations to Hillary’s campaign.
This is not the first time Harvey Weinstein has inserted himself into a scandal involving sexual impropriety. When then-President Bill Clinton was in the midst of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Weinstein was by his side picking up the check.
A Washington Post article from 1998 indicates that the producer, who has now been accused of sexual assault and harassment of countless women, was one of several well-known Hollywood members that gave $10,000 towards his legal defense fund. At the time Clinton was battling the allegations that there was more to his relationship with a White House intern.
This newly discovered detail explains Hillary Clinton’s hesitation in condemning the producer. Five days after being asked about him, Clinton has finally spoken out saying she was “shocked and appalled” by the allegations but that his contributions to her political campaign will be donated to charity. A number of other Democratic beneficiaries noted they will be giving away the donations he made to their funds. Fox News reports that Weinstein’s contributions to her campaigns, a political committee she supported, and a joint fund with the DNC totaled over $46,000 last year.
When asked about Weinstein in an interview with BBC, Clinton tried to shift the discussion away from the topic but accidentally brought it right back to her husband’s sexual faults. She said, “This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated anywhere, whether it’s in entertainment, polices. After all, we have someone admitting to being a sexual assaulter in the Oval Office.” The interviewer Andrew Marr proceeded to point out that she dismissed the allegations against her husband that several women made.
She replied, “That has all been litigated. That was the subject of a huge investigation in the late ‘90s and there were conclusions drawn. That was clearly in the past.” This litigation includes an out-of-court settlement of $850,000 to Paula Jones, a woman who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual harassment.
President Trump has never actually admitted to sexual assault. An “Access Hollywood” recording of Trump in 2005 has him saying that he can “do anything” to women since he is a star. This includes grabbing “them by the p****.” He has since apologized for those comments, calling them “locker room talk.”
The money Weinstein has given to various campaigns is likely long gone and spent, making it difficult for those groups to easily give the money to charity. Obviously, the money he gave to help Bill Clinton is gone, as well as the money he gave to The Clinton Foundation. The foundation has reported that they will not give the donations back, which is as much as $250,000. This announcement was not surprising since foundation spokesman Craig Minassian had tweeted earlier, “Suggesting @ClintonFdn return funds from our 330,000+ donors ignores the fact that donations have been used to help people across the world.”
Do you think those that have received donations from Weinstein and others accused of sex allegations should give the money away? Share your comments with us in the comments below.
To learn more about the allegations against Weinstein, read these articles:
- Gloria Allred Representing Harvey Weinstein Accuser
- NYPD Investigating Accused Rapist Harvey Weinstein
- Accused Rapist Harvey Weinstein and Wife Georgina Chapman Separating
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