The settlement announced on June 30 would end
litigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James and
separate class-action litigation, and permit accusers to claim
$7,500 to $750,000 each.
But in a Manhattan federal court filing, the six women said
accusers would receive just $11.2 million after deducting legal
fees and costs, with typical awards of just $10,000 to $20,000,
while shielding the defendants' insurers from big payouts.
They also complained that the accord "absolved" Weinstein, his
brother Bob Weinstein and the board of liability, while setting
aside another $15.2 million to help cover their defense costs.
The settlement is "a cruel hoax" and among "the most one-sided
and unfair class settlements in history," the filing said. "The
main winners ... are Harvey Weinstein, Robert Weinstein, and the
ultra-wealthy former directors of The Weinstein Co."
James' office and a lawyer for Weinstein did not respond to
requests for comment. Gerald Maatman, a lawyer for the Weinstein
Cos, declined to comment.
The settlement requires approval by U.S. District Judge Alvin
Hellerstein.
In 2010, he initially rejected a settlement for workers
suffering from health problems after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks,
saying he would not approve it "based on fear or ignorance."
Weinstein, 68, is serving a 23-year prison term following his
Feb. 24 conviction for sexually assaulting a former production
assistant and raping a onetime aspiring actress.
He is appealing, and still faces rape and sexual assault charges
in Los Angeles.
The guilty verdict was a milestone for the #MeToo movement,
which starting in late 2017 inspired women to accuse hundreds of
powerful men in business, entertainment, media, politics and
other fields of sexual misconduct.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by
Marguerita Choy and Cynthia Osterman)
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