Instant Alert: How Harvey Weinstein became one of the most powerful figures in Democratic politics before his career was rocked by a sexual harassment scandal

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   How Harvey Weinstein became one of the most powerful figures in Democratic politics before his career was rocked by a sexual harassment scandal by Michal Kranz on Oct 9, 2017, 9:41 AM Advertisement Harvey Weinstein, the film producer and co-founder of Miramax Films and the Weinstein Company, has long been known for behaving inappropriately towards women within Hollywood circles. Yet until a New York Times report detailed nearly three decades' worth of sexual harassment allegations against him from women in Hollywood, he was able to retain his job and the vast influence he has in Democratic Party politics. Already known as the "most powerful man in Hollywood," Weinstein has personally donated over $750,000 to Democratic politicians and organizations since 1991, and has became one of the largest fundraisers for the Democratic Party in Hollywood. Here's a chronology of how he acquired his political empire:  SEE ALSO: Women in Hollywood react to the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment allegations SEE ALSO: Harvey Weinstein plans to sue The New York Times for a reported $50 million over its bombshell sexual harassment expose Weinstein's political involvement began in the early 1990s. Weinstein began to make contributions to the Democratic Party in 1991, when he gave money to Sen. Barbara Boxer of California and Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont. Over the next few years he gave relatively small amounts — all $2,000 or less — to Sens. Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, along with several other Democratic senators. He also began giving to Democratic Party organizations for the first time, initially to the Democratic State Central Committee in California. It was also during this period that Weinstein allegedly began to harass several of the women named in the New York Times report. Weinstein began supporting the Clintons in the mid-1990s. In the later half of the 1990s, Weinstein  began donating to a broader set of politicians and doing so much more frequently ahead of the 1996 and 1998 elections. He also made his first contribution to the Clinton family at the start of Bill Clinton's re-election campaign in 1995, and made his largest donation up to that point in 1996 when he gave $10,000 to the Democratic National Committee Services Corporation. As a result of his rapidly growing financial ties to the Democratic Party, he began appearing at events with Bill and Hillary Clinton and other party heavyweights like Sen. Chuck Schumer. Weinstein invested both time and money to support the Democratic Party and Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011