Harvey Weinstein used his friendship with the Clintons to intimidate his victims, taking phone calls 'every other day' from the former president and while he was with his accusers, court hears, as his rape trial finally starts
Witness Lance Maerov said Weinstein 'made no secret of the fact he was connected to very powerful people'
Weinstein would call Bill 'every other day' and did so in front of at least one accuser, the court was told
Prosecutors also showed the jury a picture of Weinstein posing with Mr Clinton and on red carpets
Lawyers made their opening statements to a jury of seven men and five women on Wednesday in New York
Manhattan Assistant DA Meghan Hast said the Hollywood 'titan' is also 'a sexual predator and a rapist'
'Over the course of the testimony, you will come to see that the man seated on that side of the court room, despite what your eyes are looking at, is not a harmless old man', Hast told jurors on Wednesday
Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting two women in New York; he faces life in prison if convicted
Aspiring actress Jessica Mann was named as an alleged victim for the first time in court on Wednesday
Mimi Haleyi has already said publicly that Weinstein forced oral sex on her in his Manhattan home in 2006
Weinstein walked into court without his walker on Wednesday but left using the device as the end of the day
More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, fueling the #MeToo movement in 2017
The state needs a unanimous jury to convict - a single hold-out would produce a hung jury
By Lauren Fruen For Dailymail.com and Daniel Bates In Manhattan Criminal Court For Dailymail.com
Published: 17:43 EST, 22 January 2020 | Updated: 18:33 EST, 22 January 2020
Harvey Weinstein used his close friendship with Bill and Hillary Clinton to 'intimidate' his victims into doing what he told them, a court heard Wednesday.
The once-powerful Hollywood producer, 67, would call the former president, 73, while he was in front of at least one of his accusers and talked to him 'every other day', Weinstein's rape and sexual assault trial was told.
The first witness in the case, Lance Maerov, said Weinstein 'made no secret of the fact he was connected to very powerful people', in particular the Clintons. Maerov, a former director at The Weinstein Co, Weinstein's film company, added: 'He'd tell me (about them).'
Prosecutors also showed the jury a picture of Weinstein posing with Mr Clinton when he was at the height of his powers. Under questioning from Assistant District Attorney Joan Iluzi, Mr Maerov said that Weinstein 'made a point of telling me on a number of occasions' about his relationships with politicians.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7918327/Harvey-Weinstein-used-friendship-Clintons-intimidate-victims.html
