Alan Dershowitz may not want to jump aboard Donald Trump’s legal team, but apparently, he has no qualms with advising Harvey Weinstein’s legal team.
On Thursday, Weinstein continued his bid in Delaware Bankruptcy Court to obtain personal and business records kept by The Weinstein Co. The movie mogul is currently facing investigation by law enforcement authorities over allegations of sexual misconduct. For months, he’s been in court and in arbitration without success in an effort to obtain old emails. He believes the material will allow him to “exonerate himself.”
In new court papers, Weinstein’s attorneys repeat their claims that due process rights are being violated. Plus, it’s argued that Weinstein should get the benefit of discovery to see if any property for sale belongs to him.
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What’s substantively new here is a declaration from Dershowitz, a Harvard Law professor who is a frequent legal commentator on CNN and Fox News. The former O.J. Simpson defense attorney has been especially vocal of late on the investigation into Russian collusion in the election and sat down to dinner with Trump recently. He was reportedly asked to join the president’s team. That didn’t happen, but he’s interested in Weinstein too.
“I have been retained to consult with Benjamin Brafman, Esquire who is representing Harvey Weinstein,” he states in a declaration. “I have agreed to consult on the specific issue of Mr. Brafman’s access to his client’s personal and business emails. On information and belief, it is my professional opinion that Mr. Brafman has the right to see and review these emails in order to prepare his constitutionally-mandated role as counsel to Mr. Weinstein. Mr. Brafman has the right to defend his client in the courts of law, in negotiations with prosecutors, in resolving civil claims in negotiation with civil lawyers and in the court of public opinion. On information and belief these emails contain information which is exculpatory of Mr. Brafman’s client and places the allegations against him in a truthful context.”
Although Dershowitz says he is only a consultant, he also tells the judge he is prepared to offer a memorandum in support of Weinstein’s bid for documents.
