SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2011
TASTING FREEDOM
Ex-IMF chief released from house arrest in rape case, enjoys pricey dinner
BY ANDRA VARIN AND CARMEL MELOUNEY
He recently spent a week in a cramped cell in New York’s infamous Rikers Island jail, but thanks to another stunning reversal of fortune, Dominique Strauss-Kahn still could end up in the French presidential palace.
The former head of the International Monetary Fund, who was arrested May 14 on charges he sexually assaulted a hotel maid, walked free on his own recognizance yesterday from Manhattan State Supreme Court after prosecutors said an extensive background investigation had raised concerns about the accuser’s credibility.
Later he left his townhouse with his wife and dined at Scalinatella, an upscale restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Reuters reported.
The 62-year-old Frenchman still faces criminal charges, but the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is widely expected to drop the case following revelations that the maid had previously lied about being gang-raped.
The New York Post reported today that the Guinea native also worked as a prostitute at the Sofitel. A source told the paper that foreign chamber maids typically work their way up to elite hotels such as the Sofitel doing "double duty" selling sex.
“There is information ... of her getting extraordinary tips, if you know what I mean,” a source close to the defense investigation told the Post.
The New York Times reported last night she had been recorded talking to an incarcerated boyfriend about how she could make money out of the situation.
In Paris, members of Strauss-Kahn’s Socialist party exulted over the turn of events. Former Prime Minister Lionel Jospin described the developments as a “thunderbolt.”
Before his arrest, DSK, as he is known in France, had been expected to run for president of France in 2012 and polls showed him the likely winner. Strauss-Kahn, who says he is innocent, resigned as head of the IMF to fight the charges, and it appeared that his political career was dead in the water as well.
But the charges haven’t been dropped yet, and the maid’s attorney yesterday accused District Attorney Cyrus Vance of being too chicken to go after a powerful man following two recent, very high-profile losses, including another rape case involving two New York police officers.
Attorney Kenneth Thompson said there is plenty of evidence to support the maid’s allegation that Strauss-Kahn tried to rape her when she went to clean his suite at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan.
“She’s not going to hide anymore; she’s going to come out and tell you what happened to her. She’s going to tell you what Dominique Strauss-Kahn did to her,” Thompson told reporters yesterday.
Strauss-Kahn, who arrived at the courthouse in a Lexus SUV, appeared calm as he entered the courtroom in a navy suit, white shirt and vibrant blue tie, accompanied by his wife, Anne Sinclair.
Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon submitted a letter saying investigators have come to believe that the hotel maid lied about some of her activities in the hours surrounding the alleged attack. In the letter, prosecutors said:
In the letter, prosecutors said:
• The maid initially told investigators she fled to the hallway after the alleged attack and waited for Strauss-Kahn to leave the hotel suite, and informed a supervisor what had happened soon after. The woman “has since admitted that this account was false” and that after the incident in Suite 2806, she proceeded to clean a nearby room and then returned to Suite 2806 and began to clean it before contacting her supervisor.
• The maid, a 32-year-old widow with a teenage daughter, admitted she lied about details on her application for asylum in the United States. She said she told a fictitious story about being gang-raped in her native Guinea, acting on the instructions of a “male associate” who had her memorize a tape recording outlining the supposed attack. The maid said that account was false, but that she had been raped in the West African nation “but in an incident different than the one she described in initial interviews.”
• The woman also declared a friend’s child as a dependent for the purposes of increasing her tax returns for the past two tax years.
“Finally, during the course of this investigation, the complainant was untruthful with assistant district attorneys about a variety of additional topics concerning her history, background, present circumstances and personal relationships,” the letter said.
“All of this has caused us to reassess the position that we have advanced to the court about the strength of the case,” Illuzzi-Orbon told Judge Michael Obus.
But Illuzzi-Orbon stressed that forensic evidence proved there was a sexual encounter, and the prosecution is not moving to dismiss the case “at this time.”
The judge announced that Strauss-Kahn could be freed from house arrest on his own recognizance. The Frenchman had previously posted $1 million bail and $5 million bond, which will now be returned. He is allowed to travel within the United States but cannot have his passport back yet.
“In the meantime, there will be no rush to judgment in this case,” said Obus, adding, “I expect the process will go on in a manner that is as fair as can be.”
Strauss-Kahn smiled and said, “Thank you, your honor.”
He walked slowly out of the courthouse with his arm on his wife’s shoulder, smiling slightly at the throng gathered outside.
“It is a great relief,” his lawyer William Taylor told an enormous crowd of journalists outside the courthouse. He said the case underscores “how easy it is for people to be charged with serious crimes and for there to be a rush to judgment.”
Thompson, the lawyer for the alleged victim, gave his own news conference outside the courthouse, recounting the woman’s allegation that Strauss-Kahn grabbed her breasts, forced her to perform oral sex and then tried to rip off her pantyhose before she managed to get away.
Thompson said Strauss-Kahn’s only defense is that the sexual encounter was consensual, and “that is a lie.”
“He grabbed her vagina with so much force that he bruised her,” Thompson said. “Nurses took pictures of the bruises on her vagina and the district attorney has those.”
He said his client cannot read or write, and that she lied on her asylum application because she had been a victim of ritual genital mutilation as a child in Guinea and did not want her young daughter to go through the same ordeal.
“It is clear that this woman made some mistakes, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a rape victim,” Thompson said.
He added that there was security video footage of a “nervous” Strauss-Kahn appearing at the front desk of his hotel as he checked out with toothpaste smeared on his mouth.
Thompson also dismissed as “lies” media reports that his client was involved with a drug dealer.
But the New York Times, quoting unidentified law enforcement officials, reported that the maid was recorded talking by phone with an incarcerated boyfriend in Arizona about a day after she made the allegations. The paper said last night that authorities were shocked when the conversation was translated from the woman’s native language of Fulani.
“She says words to the effect of, ‘Don’t worry, this guy has a lot of money. I know what I’m doing,’” the Times cited a law enforcement official as saying.
DA Vance told reporters that none of the charges had been dismissed. “In this case, as with every case, our commitment to the truth and the facts will govern how we proceed,” he said.
Jean-Marie Le Guen, a Socialist member of the French parliament, said the news from New York means the “end of the nightmare” for Strauss-Kahn, who can now “be present in the presidential campaign.”
The case shone a spotlight on Strauss-Kahn’s reputation as an inveterate philanderer, and sparked a debate in France about how women are treated. Sinclair, a former French TV personality and a multimillionaire heiress, has stood by her husband, as has Strauss-Kahn’s daughter Camille, a Ph.D. student at Columbia University who lunched with her father on the afternoon of the alleged attack.
Another politician, Jean-Louis Borloo, told French TV there was no reason Strauss-Kahn could not run for president if he is exonerated. “What’s stopping him coming back if he has the strength and desire?”
Andra.Varin@thedaily.com
Carmel.Melouney@thedaily.com
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A model ceremony
Kate Moss, The Kills’ Hince tie the knot in England
In true rock-star fashion, Kate Moss and The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince flashed the devil horns yesterday after getting married at a church in Southrop, the English town the supermodel calls home.
Moss was accompanied by 14 bridesmaids led by her daughter, Lila Grace. A-list attendees included Anna Wintour, Jade Jagger, Kelly Osbourne, Jude Law and designer Stella McCartney, who dressed the maid of honor, Moss’s ex-agent Jess Hallett.
“This is the most beautiful, loving, amazing wedding I have ever been to,” Osbourne gushed on Twitter.
The ceremony is part of a weekend-long wedding extravaganza that began with a rehearsal dinner Thursday evening and will end with parties featuring performances by Iggy Pop, Beth Ditto and Snoop Dogg.
The nuptials weren’t without controversy. Moss’s gown was designed by her friend John Galliano, who’s now on trial in Paris for going on an anti-Semitic tirade. According to the Guardian, locals in the small village were angered because Moss’ ceremony closed several roads.
Credit: XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM
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SAUSAGE FEST! Dog daze
It is your duty to have a frank on the Fourth — here are 5 places to do it
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ONE TO GO
Djokovic took No. 1 from Nadal, now wants Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England — Having ensured his first trip to a Wimbledon final and first turn at No. 1 in the rankings with a thrill-a-minute victory, Novak Djokovic dropped to his back at the baseline, limbs spread wide, chest heaving.
Moments later, he knelt and kissed the Centre Court grass, while his entourage bounced giddily in unison, huddling in a tight circle in Djokovic's guest box.
Clearly, it meant so much to all of them that Djokovic beat 12th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-7 (9), 6-3 yesterday in an entertaining and engaging semifinal filled with diving volleys and showmanship. What would mean even more: Djokovic, who is 47-1 in 2011, beating defending champion Rafael Nadal for the title tomorrow at the All England Club.
As a kid in war-torn Serbia, Djokovic recalled, “I was always trying to visualize myself on Sunday, the last Sunday of Wimbledon. Being in the Wimbledon final — it's ‘the thing’ for me.”
The top-seeded Nadal extended his winning streak at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament to 20 matches by ending the latest so-close-yet-so-far bid by a British man at Wimbledon, eliminating No. 4 Andy Murray 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. It's the third consecutive year Murray has lost in the semifinals.
The last British man to win Wimbledon was Fred Perry in 1936, and the last to even reach the final the final was Bunny Austin in 1938; since then, the host country's men are a combined 0-11 in semifinals.
“I feel sad for Andy,” said Nadal, who showed no signs of being hampered by the aching left heel that he's numbing with painkilling injections as he seeks a third Wimbledon championship and 11th Grand Slam trophy.
No matter tomorrow's result, the Spaniard will be overtaken in the ATP rankings Monday by Djokovic, who'll rise from No. 2.
It will be the first time since February 2004 that a man other than Roger Federer or Nadal has been No. 1.
“Both of them are incredibly consistent with their success and so dominant the last couple years. They don't give you a lot of chances to become No. 1,” said the 24-year-old Djokovic, beaten in last year's U.S. Open final by Nadal. “So I guess you need to lose only one match in seven months to get there. If you can do that, then well done.”
Yes, Djokovic deserves to hear a “Well done!” or two for his surge, which he says stems in part from the confidence and pride he gained while leading Serbia to its first Davis Cup title in December. His two wins against France during the final series at Belgrade started a 43-match streak that ended with a semifinal loss to Federer at the French Open a month ago.
Otherwise, Djokovic has been perfect. He won the first seven tournaments he entered this year — including the Australian Open in January — and beat Nadal in four finals.
“His total game is really complete,” Nadal said. “Good serve, very good movements. ... His eyes are very fast, and he can go inside the court very easy playing very difficult shots.”
The degree of difficulty was extremely high in the first semifinal, when Djokovic and Tsonga put on quite a display.
The highlight-reel points were numerous, starting in the sixth game, when Tsonga dove to his right for a forehand volley that Djokovic stretched to volley back. Somehow, Tsonga sprang up in time to knock home a volley winner, drawing a smile and applause from Djokovic. Tsonga walked toward the Royal Box, where past Wimbledon champions Bjorn Borg and Goran Ivanisevic were among the guests, and raised his arms overhead, basking in the raucous applause.
At 1-1 in the third set, both players wound up on the turf, with Tsonga diving to his left for a backhand volley, Djokovic sprawling as he stretched for a shot, and Tsonga then launching himself back to his right for another tumble, only to see his last shot land long.
Four games later, they were at it again, with both men ending up face-down on the grass.
“This is the only surface you can really dive,” Tsonga observed, “because on the others, if you dive, you go directly to the hospital.”
In the end, the outcome hinged on Djokovic's steadiness — he made only 13 unforced errors, 16 fewer than Tsonga — and a remarkable ability to extend points, often sliding as if there were clay underfoot, his legs nearly doing the splits.
“I can beat everybody today, but not Djokovic,” said Tsonga, who upset six-time champion Federer in the quarterfinals, “because he just played unbelievable. He was everywhere.” — AP
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Kobayashi is back
Check out our exclusive look at champion hot dog eater Takeru Kobayashi's time tested technique.
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Op-Ed: Bachmann’s right and wrong
Candidates should use policy, not just words, to fight sexism
BY JESSICA VALENTI
Representative Michele Bachmann says the media want her in a conservative catfight with Sarah Palin. The GOP presidential hopeful told a voter this week that the media want “to see two girls come together and have a mud-wrestling fight, and I am not going to give that to them.” She’s right — and good for her on calling them out. But really, she’d better get used to it. (And probably best not to put mud-fighting images in folks’ heads, while she’s at it.)
The sad truth is, there is no way Bachmann will avoid comparisons to Palin and the sexism that comes along with being a woman running for office. In fact, she already got a taste of it recently. On Sunday, Chris Wallace of Fox News asked the congresswoman, “Are you a flake?” — as if it were as normal as asking about health policy or education reform. Earlier this month, John Judis at the New Republic said Bachmann lacked “sexual charisma,” as if that were somehow a new requisite for politics.
This isn’t to say any criticism of Bachmann is automatically sexist — clearly the Minnesota representative has said some pretty eyebrow-raising things. She has misrepresented health care law, said that the Founding Fathers “worked tirelessly to end slavery,” and lied about government subsidies for a family farm. Perhaps the most talked-about gaffe, however, was when she messed up her own hometown history this week, saying that “John Wayne was from Waterloo, Iowa,” when it was in fact serial killer John Wayne Gacy who lived there. So there’s no doubt that Bachmann is providing plenty of fodder for legitimate (and yes, sometimes silly) criticism.
But substantive concerns about Bachmann aside — and believe me, I have plenty myself — I’m chagrined that the Palin comparisons and sexist swipes will only get worse as the election gets closer. If Bachmann wants to prepare herself, she need only look at what happened to Hillary Clinton and Palin in the 2008 presidential election. It wasn’t pretty. Whether someone was calling Palin “Caribou Barbie” or a “VPILF,” or mocking Clinton’s teary moment at a press conference, the election season was rife with sexism.
While I hate the misogyny that’s directed at female candidates, I also can’t help but find it irritating — and even a bit hypocritical — that conservative women like Bachmann and Palin are quick to denounce the sexism that’s thrown at them, but even quicker to support sexist policies and legislation that hurt other women across the country.
While governor, Palin cut funding to a home for teen mothers, and made women in Alaska pay for their own rape kits. Both Palin and Bachmann are anti-choice; Bachmann has even suggested that she opposes abortion to save a woman’s life. When asked in the GOP presidential debate earlier this month what she thought of Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s position that abortion should be permitted in cases of rape, incest or when a woman’s life is in danger, Bachmann answered, “I am 100 percent pro-life.”
It’s fair to bemoan the misogyny in the media and in our culture, but if you don’t plan to change that through your political actions — or, at the very least, refrain from supporting it — complaining seems a bit pointless.
I predict that conservative men — especially those with poor track records on women’s rights — will start to come out in defense of Bachmann and call out the media for its sexism. After all, that’s what happened in 2008, when well-known misogynists came out of the woodwork to defend Palin against sexism. Bill O’Reilly, for example, chastised those who would criticize Palin over her teen daughter’s pregnancy, calling it a “family issue,” mere months after blaming teen starlet Jamie Lynn Spears’ parents over her pregnancy. And just two days after Republican pundit Dick Morris complained about the media coverage of Palin as the result of “the deep sexism that runs through our society,” he called Hillary Clinton “strident and shrill.” I’m sure we can expect to see the same kind of hypocrisy in the coming months.
There’s no doubt that Bachmann has been — and will continue to be — the target of sexist comments. And while she and Palin may both be conservative women (and both brunettes, imagine!), comparisons of the two and hopes for a mud fight, Jello fight or whatever, are ill-conceived and sexist. But in a time when women’s rights are under attack — in areas from sexual assault to reproductive justice — I’m more concerned about what Bachmann will do as a politician. Because her vision promises a future with more sexism than the cable news hosts even imagine.
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Prepare yourself for the cutest thing you’ll see today
Credit: The Daily (www.thedaily.com)
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