Harvey Weinstein hired private firms to investigate women who accused him of sexual assault and journalists working on stories about their claims, according to a new report.
Weinstein hired Black Cube, a firm run largely by former Mossad and Israeli intelligence officers, and Kroll, a large corporate-intelligence company, the New Yorker reported.
Weinstein has been accused of rape and sexual harassment by dozens of women over decades.
According to the report, the goal of the investigations, laid out in a contract with Black Cube, was to stop the publication of the allegations against Weinstein later made public in New York Times and New Yorker stories.
Rose McGowan, who has accused Weinstein of sexual assault, said she met with Black Cube agents numerous times. One posed as a women’s-rights advocate and reached out to McGowan as recently as Oct. 23, days after allegations against Weinstein emerged.
Ronan Farrow, who wrote the New Yorker story, said he was contacted by one of the agents. A reporter for New York Magazine met with the same investigator.
Weinstein oversaw the investigations, according to the report.
Police in New York City and Los Angeles are working on cases against Weinstein.
