Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon — whose website Breitbart News has spent the last week skewering Democrats with connections to Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein — had his own business dealings with the man at the center of the sexual abuse scandal, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.
In 2005, Bannon, then chairman of a small DVD and home video distribution company called Genius Products, went into business with The Weinstein Co., according to AP. Weinstein and his brother had a 70 percent ownership stake in the project.
“We are extremely honored to be in business with the new Weinstein Company,” Bannon told investors during a conference call at the time, AP reported. He added that “the Weinsteins have the most impressive track record in the film industry” and “are two of the most prolific studio heads in the history of Hollywood.”
Harvey Weinstein is facing ever-growing allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault by multiple women, including Ashley Judd, Asia Argento, Rosanna Arquette, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and TV journalist Lauren Sivan. Weinstein has been fired from The Weinstein Co.
Over the last several days, Breitbart News, whose executive chairman is Bannon, has blasted 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama and other Democrats for not quickly speaking out about the alleged sexual assaults and for accepting Weinstein’s political donations. Breitbart continued to provide updates Wednesday evening on a live blog dedicated to the scandal but made no mention of the AP story connecting Bannon to the Hollywood producer.
Clinton and Obama each broke their silence via written statements Tuesday. Clinton said she was “shocked and appalled by the revelations.” Obama and his wife, Michelle, said they were “disgusted” by the reports and that “any man who demeans and degrades women in such fashion needs to be condemned.”
Clinton told CNN on Wednesday that she will donate the campaign money she received from Weinstein to charity.
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