Prosecutors in Harvey Weinstein's New York case cry foul over defense lawyer's comments

Prosecutors in New York accused Harvey Weinstein's lead defense lawyer of making public statements intended to intimidate a potential witness ahead of the fallen movie mogul's retrial and asked a judge to take action.

The Manhattan district attorney's office sent a letter to the trial judge Thursday criticizing comments made by lawyer Arthur Aidala outside of court on May 1, urging the judge to instruct the defense team “not to make public statements discussing or disparaging potential witnesses in the future.”

New York's highest court last month threw out Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, ruling that the trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that weren’t part of the case. In that landmark #MeToo trial, Weinstein was convicted of rape in the third degree for an attack on an aspiring actress in 2013 and of forcing himself on a TV and film production assistant, Miriam Haley, in 2006.

Weinstein, 72, has maintained his innocence.