Black Cube: Difference between revisions

In 2017, Black Cube made headlines after it was revealed that in 2016 the film executive [[Harvey Weinstein]] had hired private investigators—including Kroll and Black Cube—with its highly trained "former Mossad agents"— in his efforts to suppress allegations by numerous women that he had sexually harassed or assaulted them.<ref name="NYTarmy" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=Brigitte |date=2021-05-21 |title=Former Canadian ambassador to Israel worked for Black Cube, an Israeli intelligence firm |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vivian-bercovici-black-cube-1.6034555 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119222700/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vivian-bercovici-black-cube-1.6034555 |archive-date=19 November 2021 |access-date=2021-11-19 |work=CBC}}</ref> Weinstein was referred to the company by former [[Israel]]i Prime Minister [[Ehud Barak]], who denied any personal connection with the company or its associates.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Beaumont |first=Peter |last2=Mumford |first2=Gwilym |date=2017-11-08 |title=Ex-Israeli PM introduced Harvey Weinstein to former Mossad spies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/nov/08/ex-israeli-pm-introduced-weinstein-to-agents-who-suppressed-abuse-allegations |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20171110194638/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/nov/08/ex-israeli-pm-introduced-weinstein-to-agents-who-suppressed-abuse-allegations |archive-date=2017-11-10 |access-date=2023-08-04 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In his July 2016 contract with Black Cube, Weinstein clarified that the explicit goal of the investigation was to stop the abuse allegations from surfacing. In his November 6, 2017 ''[[The New Yorker]]'' article, entitled "Harvey Weinstein’s Army of Spies", [[Ronan Farrow]] described in detail how Black Cube agents tracked and met journalists and actresses. They focused in particular on [[Rose McGowan]], who later publicly accused Weinstein of [[rape]]. Over the course of a year, Black Cube and other agencies, "target, or collect information on, dozens of individuals, and compile psychological profiles that sometimes focused on their personal or sexual histories."<ref name="ArmyOfSpies" /><ref name="Haaretz" /><ref name="NYTarmy" /> One agent, Stella Penn Pechanac, used an alias to pose as a [[women's rights]] supporter interested in hiring McGowan for a [[formal dinner]] [[public speaking|speech]], enabling her to secretly record conversations with the actress.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rose McGowan |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rose-McGowan.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203210327/https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rose-McGowan.pdf |archive-date=3 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=staff |first=T. O. I. |title=Israeli who helped Weinstein undermine victims: 'He wasn't a monster then' |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-who-helped-weinstein-undermine-victims-he-wasnt-a-monster-then/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224030842/https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-who-helped-weinstein-undermine-victims-he-wasnt-a-monster-then/ |archive-date=24 December 2020 |access-date=1 December 2019 |website=www.timesofisrael.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=9 November 2017 |title=Former Israeli Soldier Identified as Harvey Weinstein's Spy |url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/former-israeli-soldier-identified-as-harvey-weinstein-s-spy-1.5464301 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915001048/https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/former-israeli-soldier-identified-as-harvey-weinstein-s-spy-1.5464301 |archive-date=15 September 2021 |access-date=2 December 2019 |work=Haaretz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=8 October 2019 |title=Ronan Farrow on the Black Cube Agent Who Spied on Weinstein Accuser Rose McGowan |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ronan-farrow-black-cube-agent-who-spied-weinstein-accuser-rose-mcgowan-1246077 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209182324/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ronan-farrow-black-cube-agent-who-spied-weinstein-accuser-rose-mcgowan-1246077 |archive-date=9 December 2019 |access-date=2 December 2019 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> Black Cube apologized for taking the case in November 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Eichner |first=Itamar |date=11 November 2017 |title=Israeli intelligence firm apologizes for taking Harvey Weinstein job |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5040966,00.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427073728/https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5040966,00.html |archive-date=27 April 2021 |access-date=2 December 2019 |work=Ynetnews}}</ref> {{As of|2019}}, [[United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York|Manhattan federal prosecutors]] investigating Weinstein were probing into the firm's activities on his behalf,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Feuer |first=Alan |date=6 September 2018 |title=Federal Prosecutors Investigate Weinstein's Ties to Israeli Firm |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/06/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-israel-black-cube.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032844/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/06/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-israel-black-cube.html/ |archive-date=9 November 2020 |access-date=3 December 2019 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> and McGowan's separate [[racketeering]] suit against it remained active.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lisa Respers France |date=24 October 2019 |title=Rose McGowan sues Harvey Weinstein for alleged campaign against her |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/24/entertainment/rose-mcgowan-harvey-weinstein/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201033004/https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/24/entertainment/rose-mcgowan-harvey-weinstein/index.html |archive-date=1 December 2020 |access-date=2 December 2019 |website=CNN}}</ref> During Weinstein's 2020 trial for assault in Manhattan, Black Cube's spying on behalf of Weinstein was entered into evidence in January.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 January 2020 |title=Harvey Weinstein's Use of Black Cube to Spy on Accusers Becomes Topic at Trial |url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/harvey-weinstein-black-cube-to-spy-on-accusers-rape-trial-1202846724/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524185251/https://deadline.com/2020/01/harvey-weinstein-black-cube-to-spy-on-accusers-rape-trial-1202846724/ |archive-date=24 May 2021 |access-date=30 January 2020}}</ref> InBy November 20172021, BlackMcGowan’s Cubecase sethad upbeen adismissed fake recruitment firm, and flew an employee andby a former employee of a [[hedge fund]] company to London for fake jobfederal interviewsjudge, inand orderfederal toprosecutors gainultimately [[proprietarytook information]]no aboutaction the hedge fund, according to ''[[The New York Times]]''.against Black Cube refused to comment. In [[New York (state)|New York State]], private investigators are required to be licensed, but the ''Times'' could not find a record of a license for Black Cube or B.C. Strategy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldstein, MatthewHernandez |last2first=Rashbaum, William K.Joe |date=15December November8, 20172021 |title=DeceptionA andfederal Rusesjudge Filldismisses theRose ToolkitMcGowan's oflawsuit Investigatorsagainst Used byHarvey Weinstein |url=https://www.nytimesnpr.comorg/20172021/1112/1508/business1062369646/deceptiona-andfederal-rusesjudge-filldismisses-therose-toolkitmcgowans-oflawsuit-investigatorsagainst-used-byharvey-weinstein.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505163912/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/15/business/deception-and-ruses-fill-the-toolkit-of-investigators-used-by-weinstein.html |archiveaccess-date=5April May 2021 |access-date=7, May 20182024 |website=The New York Times[[NPR]]}}</ref>