Harvey Weinstein's Democratic donations to be given to women's charities following sexual harassment allegations
The Hollywood blockbuster producer has been accused of sexual harassment by several women
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Your support makes all the difference.Democrats are taking contributions from Harvey Weinstein and giving them to women’s charities.
The influential Hollywood producer has been accused by several women, including actress Ashley Judd, of sexual harassment over a period of at least two decades.
According to a bombshell New York Times report, Mr Weinstein settled lawsuits with at least eight women who worked for he and his brother Bob’s production company or in the film industry.
The Weinstein family has given more $1.4m (£1.07m) in political contributions since the 1992 election cycle, all supporting Democratic or progressive candidates based on data compiled by the nonpartisan Centre for Responsive Politics.
The group’s data also showed the biggest recipients of Mr Weinstein's money were the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the party's Senate and House campaign committees (DCCC), and Hillary Clinton.
A spokesperson for Senator Chuck Schumer said he will donate $14,200 to women’s charities. Senator Elizabeth Warren will give $5,000 to Casa Myrna, a Boston-based charity that fights domestic and dating violence.
The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, a sexual assault victims’ advocacy group, will receive $11,800 from Senator Kristen Gillibrand.
Senators Al Franken, Martin Heinrich, Richard Blumenthal, Patrick Leahy all confirmed they would donate Mr Weinstein’s contributions to women’s shelters and groups working to end violence against women in their states.
According to the Washington Post, Mr Weinstein, gave the DNC at least $246,290 since 1994 and the DCCC at least $23,200 since 1993.
The committee announced that it would give “over $30,000” to efforts to help female, Democratic candidates win elections as well as Emily’s List and a few other organisations.
Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement to the newspaper that the party committee hopes that Republicans will condemn all sexual harassment and assault “as we mark one year since the release of a tape showing President Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women followed by more than a dozen women who came forward to detail similar experiences of assault and harassment”.
Ms Hinojosa was referring to the infamous Entertainment Tonight audio tape released during ahead of the 2016 election in which Mr Trump boasts about “grabbing” women by their genitals.
Mr Weinstein's contributions are small compared to some of the biggest political donors, “not even placing him among the top 100 funders”, according to NBC News. But he wields power and has hosted fundraisers to attract other wealthy Hollywood patrons to support candidates and causes in Washington.
Mr Weinstein, 65, has taken a leave of absence from his company as internal claims of sexual harassment are investigated.
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