Uh Oh: Lead Detective in Weinstein Coached Witnesses, Instructed Them To…

According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the lead detective in the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault investigation acted inappropriately. The detective not only coached witnesses on what to say but instructed them to delete text messages before handing their phones over to prosecutors, WABC-TV reported. . .

The DA’s office sent Weinstein attorney Benjamin Brafman a letter on Tuesday saying it had been contacted last week by an attorney for “Complainant 2,” who is the complaining witness behind three counts in the case against Weinstein.

According to the letter, the witness told the DA’s office that she had expressed concern about turning over phones to prosecutors because they contained personal information.

Det. Nicholas DiGaudio, prosecutors said, then allegedly told the witness to “delete anything she did not want anyone to see” before turning over the phones. The witness also told prosecutors that the detective said they would conceal the deletions from the DA’s office.

. . .

“The Manhattan DA’s office needs to enter the 21st century. This is the age of technology. People keep loads of personal info on their phones that they prefer remains confidential,” DEA President Michael Palladino said in a statement. “A woman should not have to surrender confidential intimate information that’s immaterial to the case to defend herself against a sexual predator,” he continued. “That’s being victimized twice. Detective DiGaudio was sensitive to that.” (Read more from “Uh Oh: Lead Detective in Weinstein Coached Witnesses, Instructed Them To…” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.