New York federal prosecutors have started a criminal probe into sex-abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, focusing on whether he lured or persuaded women to travel across state lines to carry out a sex crime, The Wall Street Journal reported.
According to the Journal, federal prosecutors are furious local prosecutors have not brought any criminal charges against the veteran producer since the start of the #MeToo movement. Individual sex assault allegations are typically handled by local authorities, experts told the Journal.
Weinstein faces sex-harassment accusations from dozens of women — including allegations of rape and sexual assault. Weinstein's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told the Journal he has met federal prosecutors in Manhattan "in an attempt to dissuade them from proceeding" and will continue to do so.
"Mr. Weinstein has always maintained that he has never engaged in nonconsensual sexual acts," Brafman told the Journal.
The continuing probe by local prosecutors has been marred by tensions between police and the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance's office, which has been criticized for not charging Weinstein in 2015 for a sexual-assault allegation brought against him by an Italian model.
In March, Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed the New York attorney general to review how Vance's office and the New York Police Department handled the 2015 probe, the Journal noted.
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