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Groton Daily Independent
Thursday, Nov. 02, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 116 ~ 34 of 44
being run by senior vice president Jeremy Westby. A statement from the company said Webster is “taking time away from the business to focus on the egregious and untrue allegations.”
Police in Beverly Hills on Tuesday announced they have launched criminal investigations over complaints received about Weinstein and Toback. Weinstein also is being investigated for sexual assault or rape by police in Los Angeles, New York and London.
Weinstein has denied engaging in any non-consensual sexual contact. His representative, Sallie Hof- meister, had no comment on the Beverly Hills investigation. The department said late Tuesday that it was investigating Weinstein and Toback after receiving “multiple complaints,” although the department did not specify the nature of the complaints.
Weinstein has been red from the company he co-founded and is suing The Weinstein Co. in Delaware seeking access to his personnel le and his emails. The company noted in a legal ling Wednesday that Weinstein is contesting his ring in private arbitration. The company is also asking a judge to reject Wein- stein’s request to fast-track the case.
Dozens of women, including actresses Selma Blair and Rachel McAdams, have alleged that Toback sexu- ally harassed or assaulted them.
Toback has denied the allegations. He does not have a representative to eld inquiries about the criminal investigation.
Repercussions have been swift after allegations against Weinstein surfaced. Weinstein lost memberships in several organizations after initial reports of sexual harassment were published and Net ix suspended production on its nal season of “House of Cards” on Tuesday amid allegations star Spacey made a sexual advance on actor Anthony Rapp in 1986 when he was 14.
The decision to pause production Tuesday came before a second actor leveled allegations against Spacey.
Mexican actor Roberto Cavazos wrote on his Facebook page that he encountered Spacey at the bar of London’s Old Vic Theatre, where Spacey was artistic director from 2004-15, and the actor tried to fondle him against his will.
Cavazos declined an interview request. Representatives for Spacey said he’s “taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment. No other information is available at this time.”
In a statement Tuesday, the theater expressed “deep dismay” at the allegations and said “inappropriate behavior by anyone working at The Old Vic is completely unacceptable.”
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Bahr reported from Los Angeles. AP Television Writer Lynn Elber in Los Angeles, AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy in New York and Berenice Bautista in Mexico City contributed to this report.
House GOP’s evolving tax bill leaves retirement plan intact By MARCY GORDON and ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans would leave intact current tax rules on retirement accounts popular with middle class Americans and maintain a top income tax rate for million-dollar earners as ne- gotiators scrambled to nalize the rst major overhaul in three decades.
The legislation is a long-standing goal for Capitol Hill Republicans who see a once-in-a-generation op- portunity to clean up an inef cient, loophole-cluttered tax code. But there is lingering opposition from northeastern Republicans fearful of losing a cherished deduction for state and local taxes and anxiety among other rank-and- le lawmakers over emerging details.
Senior GOP lawmakers con rmed the decision to retain existing rules on 401(k) accounts, which came after assurances from President Donald Trump that they would not be changed. Ways and Means Com- mittee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, had hoped to reduce 401(k) contribution limits, in part to generate new tax revenues in the near term to nance the cuts to income tax rates.
Another lawmaker cautioned that the decision might still change. The lawmakers required anonymity because the tax panel is trying to keep its deliberations secret until the tax measure is released Thursday. In uential conservative Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., dismissed proposed retirement changes as a “non-