News has re-emerged that Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood producer accused of dozens of cases of sexual assault, helped pay the legal fees for President Bill Clinton during his battled over accusations that he lied about having a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
An August 1998 article from the Washington Post revealed details of Clinton’s legal defense fund against charges of his illicit affair with the 21-year-old White House intern including, his revelations that he gave Lewinsky gifts.
The revelations were part of the investigation led by independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr into Clinton’s relationship with Lewinsky that he lied about repeatedly.
The Post’s story includes a list of Hollywood heavyweights who came to Clinton’s aide and helped him pay his legal fees.
The story by reporter Peter Baker detailed Hollywood’s response to Clinton’s trial.
“Hollywood was quick to come to the president’s aid,” Baker wrote. “Among the 62 donors giving the maximum $10,000 were performers and directors such as Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand, Michael Douglas, Ron Howard, Norman Lear, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw-Spielberg as well as studio executives Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, Harvey Weinstein and Bud Yorkin.”
U.S. President Bill Clinton chats with movie executive Harvey Weinstein at the U.S. Coast Guard Station West Chop in Martha’s Vineyard, MA August 7, 2000. Clinton ended a four day working vacation which included a party at the home of Weinsteins. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Newsmakers)
The connection between the Clintons and the movie mogul who now stands accused of so many sexual assaults continued long after the president’s troubles in the late 1990s. Indeed, Weinstein was a huge donor and bundler for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Hillary Clinton faced and flood of criticism for being one of the last in Weinstein’s circle to come out and condemn him for the actions he is accused of perpetrating. When she did speak out, it was in a terse statement that many criticized as inadequate.
Days later, the two-time losing Democrat presidential candidate claimed that she would give to charity a tiny amount of the money Weinstein donated to her.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston
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