Hollywood was shook Thursday by the revelation that producer Harvey Weinstein reached at least eight settlements with women who have accused him of sexual harassment over the past three decades. His apology, published in The New York Times, was strange, to say the least.
In the following days
and weeks, we'll see groups and individuals begin to distance themselves from
the Hollywood producer. It has begun with Washington. Weinstein has for years
donated his money to liberal causes, even hosting fundraisers for Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton last year. In total, he has awarded at least $769,532 to Democratic causes.
But, the Times notes,
Weinstein went from being "a coveted contributor to a pariah" the
instant they published the scandalous report.
If the Democrats know
what's good for them, they will immediately return the "dirty" money,
according to the Republican National Committee.
"During
three-decades worth of sexual harassment allegations, Harvey Weinstein lined
the pockets of Democrats to the tune of three quarters of a million dollars. If
Democrats and the DNC truly stand up for women like they say they do, then
returning this dirty money should be a no brainer," RNC Chairwoman Ronna
Romney-McDaniel said in a statement Friday.
The Democrats appear to
recognize the issue. A number have already given away thousands of dollars in
campaign contributions they received from Weinstein.
Sens. Patrick Leahy
(D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Elizabeth Warren
(D-MA), for instance, are each donating portions to charity.
__________________
You may have heard by now that Hollywood mega-movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who owns a major company that has produced some of the most famous movies and their stars, is in a whole lot of trouble after decades of engaging in alleged sexual harassment and potential sexual assault.
Two decades ago, the
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein invited Ashley Judd to the Peninsula
Beverly Hills hotel for what the young actress expected to be a business
breakfast meeting. Instead, he had her sent up to his room, where he appeared
in a bathrobe and asked if he could give her a massage or she could watch him
shower, she recalled in an interview.
In 2014, Mr. Weinstein invited Emily Nestor, who had worked just one day as a
temporary employee, to the same hotel and made another offer: If she accepted
his sexual advances, he would boost her career, according to accounts she
provided to colleagues who sent them to Weinstein Company executives. The
following year, once again at the Peninsula, a female assistant said Mr.
Weinstein badgered her into giving him a massage while he was naked, leaving
her “crying and very distraught,” wrote a colleague, Lauren O’Connor, in a
searing memo asserting sexual harassment and other misconduct by their boss.
Harvey isn't denying the
allegations made by a number of women, saying in a statement, "I
appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of
pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I’m trying to do better, I know
I have a long way to go."
But Harvey isn't just a
movie guy, he's also a massive donor to the Democrat Party. One of his big
recipients? Hillary Clinton. In fact, he was a fundraising bundler for her 2016
campaign.
But where is Clinton on
this issue? After all, she is the former Democrat presidential candidate who
argued all women should be believed when making allegations of sexual
harassment or assault.
She's silent, just as
she was when Bill Clinton was accused of doing the same thing. After all, it's
the politically expedient thing to do.
"During
three-decades worth of sexual harassment allegations, Harvey Weinstein lined
the pockets of Democrats to the tune of three quarters of a million dollars. If
Democrats and the DNC truly stand up for women like they say they do, then
returning this dirty money should be a no brainer," RNC Chairwoman Ronna
Romney-McDaniel said Friday.
|
Harvey's Dirty
Democrat Donations | ||
|
|
Dirty $$
|
Returned/
Donated All $$? |
|
DNC
|
$246,290
|
NO
|
|
DSCC
|
$193,392
|
NO
|
|
Gov. Andrew Cuomo
|
$111,400
|
NO
|
|
Gov. Terry McAuliffe
|
$32,535
|
NO
|
|
DCCC
|
$23,200
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Al Franken
|
$19,800
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Chuck Schumer
|
$16,200
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
|
$11,800
|
NO
|
|
Democratic Party of Wisconsin
|
$10,000
|
NO
|
|
Democratic Party of Montana
|
$10,000
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Cory Booker
|
$7,800
|
YES
|
|
Sen. Patrick Leahy
|
$5,600
|
YES
|
|
Sen. Martin Heinrich
|
$5,400
|
YES
|
|
Sen. Richard Blumenthal
|
$5,400
|
YES
|
|
Alison Grimes, KY Sec. of State
|
$5,200
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Elizabeth Warren
|
$5,000
|
YES
|
|
Democratic Party of Oregon
|
$5,000
|
NO
|
|
Democratic Party of Pennsylvania
|
$5,000
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Debbie Stabenow
|
$4,800
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Kamala Harris
|
$2,500
|
NO
|
|
NJ Democratic State Committee
|
$2,200
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Bob Casey
|
$2,100
|
NO
|
|
Rahm Emanuel
|
$2,000
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Dianne Feinstein
|
$1,375
|
NO
|
|
Rep. Rosa DeLauro
|
$1,000
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Dick Durbin
|
$1,000
|
NO
|
|
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
|
$1,000
|
NO
|
