ENTERTAINMENT | Weinstein Attorney Responds to NY Suit: ‘He Will ‘Vigorously Defend Himself’

© TheWrap Eric Schneiderman NY Attorney General Harvey Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein's attorney, Ben Brafman, responded Sunday to the civil rights lawsuit filed by New York's attorney general, Eric Schneiderman.

"If the purpose of the inquiry is to encourage reform throughout the film industry, Mr. Weinstein will embrace the investigation," Schneiderman writes. "If the purpose however is to scapegoat Mr. Weinstein, he will vigorously defend himself."

The statement from Brafman reads in full:

"We believe that a fair investigation by Mr. Schneiderman will demonstrate that many of the allegations against Harvey Weinstein are without merit. While Mr. Weinstein's behavior was not without fault, there certainly was no criminality, and at the end of the inquiry it will be clear that Harvey Weinstein promoted more women to key executive positions than any other industry leader and there was zero discrimination at either Miramax or TWC.

If the purpose of the inquiry is to encourage reform throughout the film industry, Mr. Weinstein will embrace the investigation. If the purpose however is to scapegoat Mr. Weinstein, he will vigorously defend himself."

The lawsuit filed in New York County Supreme Court against The Weinstein Company alleges multiple "egregious violations of New York's civil rights, human rights, and business laws." The attorney general's office said in a statement: "Today's suit includes numerous employee-victim accounts of sexual harassment, intimidation, and other misconduct."

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TWC executives are not named as defendants in the suit -- except for co-founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein -- but the complaint details multiple instances when senior management did not react to allegations of abusive behavior. The company's Human Resources department is singled out multiple times for not launching any formal investigation into charges against Weinstein.

The scrutiny could complicate attempts to close the pending sale of The Weinstein Company to an investor group led by former Obama Small Business Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet.