(Image: Stauss-Kahn Pictures)
BY JIM FLINK
ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY
You're watching multisource politics video news analysis from Newsy.
A bombshell in the sexual assault charges against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
The case -- is reportedly near collapse. Strauss-Kahn -- is out on bail.
His accuser -- under scrutiny for alleged ties to drug dealers and money laundering.
France 24 reports -- the accuser talked to convicts in prison -- on the phone -- and on tape.
“Within 24 hours of the incident with Dominique Strauss Kahn, that she was suggesting what she could get from the case. And that apparently it may be on tape ... that she had five different cell phone numbers, tens of thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars paid into her account by different people -- you see where they’re going here -- she has links to drug dealers apparently.”
The questions of character don’t stop there.
CNBC reports -- prosecutors discovered a series of inconsistencies in the chamber maid’s other stories.
“This maid apparently told prosecutors that she had been raped before in her home country, and gave detailed account of this past incident, literally crying to the prosecutors and providing details about the case. And then later under repeat questioning she apparently confessed that she had made that whole story up. And that she had lied on her asylum application.”
It’s not just the defense -- calling the accuser’s credibility into question.
The prosecution admits as much too -- and CBS’ news analyst Jack Ford says, that’s a big deal.
(Ford) When you have that coming from the prosecution side, as reportedly it is here, that means there’s a possibility for some seismic changes in this case.
(Ketayen) And you talk about seismic, this 32-year-old woman, has connections to money laundering and drug dealers. This is not penny-ante stuff when you’re talking about credibility.
Strauss-Kahn was not only head of the IMF -- he was a leading candidate for the French presidency.
Bloomberg notes, he has paid dearly for his defense.
“Remember he’s been living in a Tribeca townhouse, on house arrest, it’s costing him $250,000 a month. He’s had to shell out one million dollars cash bail, five million dollars on bond, and stay on 24 hour house arrest. Only to leave for legal, religious and medical reasons.”
So could Strauss-Kahn rise to political prominence again? Many doubt it.
But the Washington Post won’t rule it out.
“The article has reinvigorated talk of Strauss-Kahn’s presidential hopes. Before his arrest, he was widely seen as the best opponent to French president Nicolas Sarkozy in the fall elections. A French Socialist ...said the political calendar should be put on hold if Strauss-Kahn is exonerated, so as to give him the opportunity to declare his candidacy after the deadline date of July 13.”
Transcript by Newsy.
