Harvey Weinstein's contract laid out terms that essentially gave him the green light to to commit sexual harassment or any other misconduct — as long as he paid for any resulting settlements out of his own pocket, TMZ reported.
TMZ reported the 2015 employment contract said if the now-fired Weinstein "treated someone improperly in violation of the company's code of conduct," he must reimburse The Weinstein Company for any settlements or judgments.
Additionally, "You [Weinstein] will pay the company liquidated damages of $250,000 for the first such instance, $500,000 for the second such instance, $750,000 for the third such instance, and $1,000,000 for each additional instance."
Lance Maerov, the board member who negotiated Weinstein's 2015 contract, told TMZ the board knew Weinstein had settled prior lawsuits brought by various women, but "assumed" it was to cover up consensual affairs, TMZ reported.
The report also points out Weinstein could be entitled to mediation or arbitration because he was not given a specific reason as to why he was fired, since the company essentially allowed the sexual harassment to take place, according to his contract.
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