AP Sources: Alleged Victim Lied in Case Against Former IMF Head Strauss-Kahn
- Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:08am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors have serious questions about the credibility of a hotel housekeeper who has accused former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault and are taking the extraordinary step of seeking to substantially reduce his pricey bail, according to people familiar with the case.
Investigators have come to believe that the woman lied about some of her activities in the hours around the alleged attack and about her own background, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday. The official is familiar with the case but spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters not yet made public in court.
Prosecutors think she lied about details on her application for asylum in the U.S., including saying she had been raped in her native Guinea, the official told the AP.
“She actually recounted the entire story to prosecutors and later said it was false,” the official said.
Prosecutors haven’t necessarily reached a new conclusion about the allegations against Strauss-Kahn and have not decided whether to downgrade the charges, the official said.
A court hearing is set Friday for the 62-year-old Strauss-Kahn, who is accused of crimes including attempted rape has been under armed guard in a Manhattan town house after posting a total of $6 million in cash bail and bond. He denies the allegations.
Another person familiar with the case but not authorized to speak publicly about it said earlier Thursday that Strauss-Kahn may get his bail and house arrest arrangement eased at Friday’s hearing but would not elaborate. Strauss-Kahn lawyer William W. Taylor would say only that the hearing was to review the bail plan. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment.
A third person who spoke on condition of anonymity told the AP that prosecutors have raised issues about the accuser’s credibility in the case against Strauss-Kahn, but also would not elaborate.
The New York Police Department, which investigated the case, declined to comment. The woman’s lawyer did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
“There will be serious issues raised by the district attorney’s office and us concerning the credibility of the complaining witness,” Benjamin Brafman, a lawyer for Strauss-Kahn, told The Wall Street Journal.
The maid told police that Strauss-Kahn chased her down a hallway in his $3,000-a-night suite in New York’s Sofitel hotel, tried to pull down her pantyhose and forced her to perform oral sex before she broke free.
If the case collapses, it could once again shake up the race for the French presidency. Strauss-Kahn, a prominent Socialist, had been seen as a leading potential challenger to conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy in next year’s elections – until the New York hotel allegations embarrassed Strauss-Kahn’s party and left him in the political wilderness.
“Those who know Dominique Strauss-Kahn will not be surprised by this evolution of events,” one of his French lawyers, Leon Lef Forster, told the AP in Paris. “What he was accused of has no relation to his personality. It was something that was not credible.”
New doubts about Strauss-Kahn’s accuser would also revive speculation of a conspiracy against Strauss-Kahn aimed at torpedoing his presidential chances. Within days of his arrest, a poll suggested that a majority of French think Strauss-Kahn – who long had a reputation as a womanizer and was nicknamed “the great seducer” – was the victim of a plot.
Socialist Party chief Martine Aubry announced her own presidential bid this week, after having long been expected to throw her weight behind a Strauss-Kahn candidacy. French politician Michele Sabban said Friday that the Socialists should suspend the presidential primary calendar because of the new developments.
The New York Times first reported on its website that investigators uncovered major inconsistences in the woman’s account of her background, citing two law enforcement officials. The Times also reported that senior prosecutors and Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers are discussing whether to dismiss the felony charges, including attempted rape.
Prosecutors had argued against his release in May, citing the violent nature of the alleged offenses and saying his wealth and international connections would make it easy for him to flee.
“The proof against him is substantial. It is continuing to grow every day as the investigation continues,“ Assistant District Attorney John ”Artie” McConnell told the judge. “We have a man who, by his own conduct in this case, has shown a propensity for impulsive criminal conduct.”
In early hearings, prosecutors underscored that they thought the evidence against Strauss-Kahn was formidable. And it appeared so at first, the law enforcement official told the AP.
“In the beginning, it was a strong case. There was a victim and several witnesses and forensic evidence that supported the victim’s claim,” the official said.
The woman was in Strauss-Kahn’s room only briefly before the alleged attack, his semen was found on her uniform, and she quickly reported the alleged assault and told a consistent story about it to investigators and prosecutors, the official said.
Prosecutors have said in court that Strauss-Kahn appeared on surveillance tapes to be in a hurry as he left the hotel, though his lawyers have said he was merely rushing to lunch.
Strauss-Kahn was in New York on a personal trip when the maid made her accusations. During initial bail hearings, prosecutors noted that he was arrested on a Paris-bound plane at Kennedy Airport, and that they could not compel his return from France if he fled.
His lawyers have underscored that it was a long-planned flight and have said he wants to return to court to clear his name. He resigned his IMF post after his arrest.
Defense lawyers have said that the hotel encounter wasn’t forcible, and that they have unreleased information that could “gravely undermine the credibility” of the housekeeper. The defense was using private investigators to aggressively check out the victim’s background and her story, but the Times reported that it was investigators for the prosecution who uncovered discrepancies.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has said the detectives investigating the case found the maid’s story believable.
The woman’s lawyer has said she is prepared to testify despite a “smear campaign” against her. The Associated Press generally does not identify accusers in sex crime cases unless they agree to it.
Strauss-Kahn was held without bail for nearly a week after his May arrest. His lawyers ultimately persuaded a judge to release him by agreeing to extensive – and expensive – conditions, including an ankle monitor, surveillance cameras and armed guards. He can leave for only for court, weekly religious services and visits to doctors and his lawyers, and prosecutors must be notified at least six hours before he goes anywhere.
The security measures were estimated to cost him about $200,000 a month, on top of the $50,000-a-month rent on a town house in trendy TriBeCa. He settled there after a hasty and fraught house hunt: A plan to rent an apartment in a tony building on Manhattan’s Upper East Side fell through after residents complained about the hubbub created by reporters, police and gawkers.
Under New York law, judges base bail decisions on factors including defendants’ characters, financial resources and criminal records, as well as the strength of the case against them – all intended to help gauge how likely they are to flee if released.
Defendants and prosecutors can raise the issue of bail at any point in a case. It’s common, if asking a judge to revisit a bail decision, to argue that new information or new proposed conditions change how one or more of the factors should be viewed.
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Comments (78)
roadhog
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:56amHow much a cool $100.000 to make it go away. Put a watch on her bank accounts .
Report Post »TRILO
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:40amThere seems to be alot of unanswered questions. There is too much power at stake here. Did someone want him out of the IMF, did someone want him out of the presidential race in France, was this woman paid to create this scandal, or does he just think of himself as so powerful that he can take what he wants? Who knows. The issue that bothers me the most is that someone is arrested and put on house arrest under armed guard 24/7 based upon an accusation that now seems to be flawed and under question by the prosecutor. There seems to be a growing problem with many of our police forces using bad judgement and excessive force these days. I guess we will all wait and see.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:30ammoney does buy happiness
Report Post »BiteMePETA
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:54amI’m sure he is just like the mob, heavy handed pressure from every angle…
Report Post »wisehiney
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:41amAin’t it fun watching immoral criminals bring each other down. Their victims can’t seem to stop them, but the predators are growing so numerous that they must now feed on each other.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:36am“The woman’s lawyer has said she is prepared to testify despite a “smear campaign” against her. The Associated Press generally does not identify accusers in sex crime cases unless they agree to it.”
You don’t go up against such powerful people. I think somene got to this woman. If she has aids, as she has stated, then he may just get the punishment he deserves anyway….. :(
Report Post »rabblechat
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:33amDid anyone really think this man would be held accountable? of course not, he is a member of the ruling class! Remember they can do no wrong, it’s us the lowly proletariat that lie, cheat and steal.
We all know anyone that is associated with the IMF must be squeaky clean right????
Report Post »So what happened to the DNA evidence they reported on when the case first broke? Is that now null and void because they went diggin up bones and found out this woman told a lie some years ago?
Did they forget that this man also has a history of indecent sexual behavior?
benrush
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:29amOh, yeah, sure, she “lied”. Right. Sounds like the IMF has some well placed friends. And the housemaid will disappear if things don’t go exactly as they say.
Report Post »GulfPeg
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:22amShe was paid money “under the table” to recant her story. No doubt about it!
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:21amYou can get away with rape if the woman has a bad history…another sad day in Mudville.
The IMF clown should be convicted on the merits of the crime…He either did or did not…
If you are citizen with a bad past then I guess you can and should be raped? I hope it doesn’t go this way.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:19amI love it! It’s been, what, three weeks or so – just enough time to give Kahn’s henchmen enough time to figure out where to attack the victim?
My God, are Europeans creepy bastards?!?!?
Report Post »BehindBlueEyes
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:20amHave you ever been to Europe? A lot of nasty people with strange minds and attitudes toward Americans and people in general.
Report Post »ScreaminEagle
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:07amBelieve only half of what you see. Nothing you hear.
Report Post »nomercy63
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:04amYes, man’s life on the line. career destroyed and all it took was a simple accusation, this is happening far too often, time to charge false accusers with serious crimes!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »BehindBlueEyes
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:59amYes an accusation with a perverts semen stain on it.
Report Post »Sicialian Eyeball
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:46amIf she is a muslim,how could anything she said,be believed?
Report Post »HowardSternIsABigot
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:39amWhat is nature of “lies”? In rape cases I always thought the ladies past and clothes and attitude dont matter. I would assume the question is , Did he rape her? But apparently if you have enough funny-money you print yourself, everything can be bought.
Report Post »NewBee
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:36amShe was offered a **** load of money behind the scenes which in the end is a cheaper for him than going though a trial. That being said I hope she is smart enough to get paid or sucure the payment in someway before he gets to leave the country.
Report Post »let us prey
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:31amSomeone is greasing the pig.
Report Post »horsehockey
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:07amPepe Le Pew aka “ruling class elite” is definitely involved here, protecting one of their own.
Report Post »Nervous Investor
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:28amLooks to me that the Liberal fix is in.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:27am@Professional Infidel:
Liberal teachings at all levels of grades? Indeed. France is the future of America if we do not take back the nation in the small window of time we have left. http://artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:27amAs neiztsche said in the 19th centruy the french are the only civilized people in europe.Now all of europe is french.next aamerica will indeed be ciliized [long live the enlightened nanny state coming to the usa!].And fifty years ago if you drank wine everyday you were dismissed as a wino and if you dared know anything about wine you were a snob.same about food.backwater americans were the real snobs.Now they’re rabid nationist snobs.
Report Post »The media attack on Kahn.was sheer anti-french bigotry -a staple of americanism since they kicked military bases out of their country and don’t subscibe to the tyranical american position that if you”ve
“saved” them in war[a self serving narratve-the russians won the war]they become our slaves forever and approve all of our wars! The hate filled anti-french bigotry ignores the fact that the rest of europe was occupied too.In war you win some you lose some..When they were in viet nam the americans[kennedy in the senate] lambasted them for their imperialist intents in being in viet nam,5 minutes after they left we went in.American bigotry against the french is the last few bigotrys allowed to be publicaly expressed..[excluding anti-muslim genocidal propaganda].
Professional Infidel
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:24amthis is the result of liberal teachings, at all grade levels.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:24am@Howard
@HKS
Indeed he does sound like a bigot to us, and his deeds speak for themselves as does his own words. Yet the possibility as HKS points out of an under-the-table deal may have happened. If that is true, could it not be considered legally a type of witness tampering or bribery of a witness? Not sure here how that would – or if – it applies.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:18amThe simple fact is this: if she did lie, is there any other evidence of a crime having actually been committed by this man, or has she fabricated the matter, as was alleged in part at the beginning of the entire matter? http://artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm
Report Post »BehindBlueEyes
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:35amDid she fabricate the semen? Who sent her to the room at that time and why? How much time elapsed between the rape and when he left the hotel? I thought he left the hotel in a hurry and was yanked off a plane (not at lunch). What’s his side of the story on the encounter?
Report Post »Lots of unanswered questions.
rabblechat
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:38amIsn’t it interesting how the facts presented earlier which point to his guilt have now slipped off into the vapors of history? If this was a regular Joe not one of the elite He would still be sitting in Rikers island
Report Post »HKS
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:17amSounds to me like an under the table deal was reached.
Report Post »TruthisHealthy
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:34amWhat a joke. I hope the woman received MILLIONS for recanting her story to save his lyin, perverted ass.
Report Post »RebeccaG
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:33pmI doubt SHE received any but I don’t doubt that millions have been spent.
Report Post »Dustoff
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:03amyou mean $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:52amThat‘s what I’m thinking .
Report Post »$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
oops
EUROOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Matlor
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:33pmYep…..under the table deal.
Report Post »HowardSternIsABigot
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:17amMuch like the people of France, something doesnt smell right here.
Report Post »libertybella58
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:49amYour right, something doesnt smell right here. The new acting IMF Chief Christine Lagarde is connected to Chicago law firm Baker & McKenzie, who is connected to Valerie Jarrett’s Chicago company Navigant Consulting, hmmmmmmmmm.
Report Post »Ms Archivist
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:42amI don’t know about all THOSE particulars, but it is very curious that the case waited until just after (practically minutes) the new IMF chief was chosen to fall apart.
Report Post »obama-mecca-me-sick
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:58amFunny this happens a day afyer his job as IMF chief is filled by someone else.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:01amIt never smelled right. This guy is not stupid. You would have to be pretty stupid to think that you could rape a woman in a hotel room rented in your name and get way with it.
Report Post »GETLIFE
Posted on July 2, 2011 at 4:18amStinky cheese.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:14amIf true, then this may change things significantly. I will wait until more is made clearer about the whole matter.
Report Post »Professional Infidel
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:22amSounds like this immigrant has cried “Wolf” prior, er rape. Need biz partiner to produce bumper sticker “I love Emigrants, I Hate immigrants”
Report Post »lovenfl3
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:06amThis whole story has seemed a bit “fishy” ever since it was reported. It’s odd how they removed him so quickly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_68oow06Nw
Report Post »chazman
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:13amThis ‘maid’ was made. Everybody has their price …
Report Post »JoeBtfsplk
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:22amCan everyone here at the BLAZE spell –
BOUGHT – - – - as in “they bought her soul for a pittance” !
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:46amSomething FISHY IN DENMARK.
I understood there was DNA evidence along with blood and scratches or bruises.
Was that untrue? Or, has dsk flexed his wallet to attack the woman again – this time socially instead of physically, by demonizing her.
DO NOT LET THIS MAN OUT TO ROAM THE STREETS OR YOU WILL NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN.
Report Post »Chris
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:00amThis is another example of how language is used to confuse or change the story.
1) Alleged Victim (not really a victim)
2) “lied” (definitive statement)
3) unstated (on her asylum application)
This story is meant to change our opinion on what happened. Even the subtitle is misleading. She “recanted” normally means that somebody changed their story regarding a criminal complaint or statement. When we combine it with “alleged victim of IMF…” we read/hear/feel “Oh, she said she lied about what Strauss-Kahn did to her.”
It DOES NOT SAY THAT.
She is alleged to have lied on her application of asylum.
All of the people that *claim* she lied are unwilling to go on record.
This AP story seems more about slandering the alleged victim than about anything else.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 4:08pmLogically how can you say “victim” ,without the “alleged”, when a case involves whether or not a crime has indeed been committed.In a he said/she case especially until evidence is presented it is unfair to say victim without the “alleged”.Even in a case like that of a dead child ,found gagged,the media is hedging their bets whether a crime was committed!When thr prosecution initially said to the public that there was solid evidence that it was a rape and now if in fact they have no such solid evidence that it was a rape[coersion] that case should be thrown out for having a prosecutor lie to inflame the public and to nail a politically unpopular defendant.[rich odious french guy vs.poor one of us new yorkers].
Report Post »Matlor
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:53pmI know of which you are saying; to tell bya the truth…..Casey Anthony…..the whole family knows what happened and how Caley died. They’re ALL complisant!!!!
Report Post »watchmany2k
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:21amI Said from Day one that this whole thing looked like a setup.
Report Post »It’s the indefenseable charge, just being accused of it in the US and you’re ruined.
No Surprise his replacement is from chicago.
He was NOT playing the collapse game the way they wanted.
no surprise greece is back on fire, and now US states are shutting down.
The globalist plan continues.
I am sure his accuser will be let off lightly and paid handsomely, or fades into the night….
tucsondon
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:47amI’m not normally a conspiracy nut, but I smell something funny here. This guy is as powerful as you can get. A couple of phone calls, a little manipulation, some cash money changes hands and presto, the maid is a lying, drug smuggling criminal. Would not surprise me.
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