Representatives of the former International Monetary fund director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, accused of sexually assaulting a maid in a Manhattan Hotel on May 14, have reportedly tried to offer her family in Guinea over a million dollars in hush money to make the case go away. That's the story in today's New York Post, which cites a "French businesswoman with close ties to Strauss-Kahn and his family." The source reportedly told the paper, "For sure, it's going to end on a quiet note."
The alleged victim in the case has been kept from the media, the public, and Strauss-Kahn's representatives. That's why his people reportedly approached her people in Guinea, a former French colony that is well outside the reach of the New York District Attorney's office. The source told the Post that the offer reached into the seven figures, and said, "He'll get out of it and will fly back to France. He won't spend time in jail. The woman will get a lot of money."
The maid's family lives in a very poor village in Guinea where the average income is $45, reports the Post. "They live so off-the-grid in a remote village that they didn't know the maid was allegedly nearly raped until reporters trekked to the village to inform them."
But the alleged offer may still not keep Strauss-Kahn out of court, and even prison. The maid can refuse to testify, but the criminal case can still proceed, and prosecutors have already said they have DNA evidence linking Strauss-Kahn to the scene.
In a separate report, the local Fox affiliate in New York ran a story last night quoting Strauss-Kahn as saying, "don't you know who I am!" as he allegedly pinned her down and tried to rape her. Reportedly quoting from the maid's complaint to police, the Fox report has some graphic details of the alleged assault:
The maid said she tried a variety of tactics to get herself out of the room and away from Strauss-Kahn. She said, “my manager is in the hallway,” which he wasn’t -- but the former IMF chief wasn’t scared off. The single mother allegedly told the Frenchman that the job was important to her and any conflict with a hotel guest would result in her losing her job.
“Please stop. I need my job, I can’t lose my job, don’t do this. I will lose my job. Please, please stop! Please stop!” she told Strauss-Kahn, according to law enforcement sources.
Strauss-Kahn allegedly responded: “No, baby. Don’t worry, you’re not going to lose your job. Please, baby, don’t worry,” Strauss-Kahn responded, according to investigators. “Don’t you know who I am? Don’t you know who I am?”
Also, lending credence to the reports yesterday that Strauss-Kahn's DNA had been linked to semen found on the maid's work clothing, The New York Times has a source that confirmed the information. That story also says the maid picked Strauss-Kahn out of a police lineup. Strauss-Kahn, for his part, remains under house arrest in the temporary apartment at 71 Broadway, awaiting his next court date on June 6.
