Strauss-Kahn Con Game

"Holes" in her story have surfaced, such as he fact that she spoke on the telephone with an incarcerated man about the possible benefits of waging a rape claim against Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The prisoner that she spoke to had been arrested for possession of 400 pounds of marijuana, and is one of a number of people made cash deposits into the woman's bank account totaling $100,000 in the last three years. Allegations of money laundering have also been suggested.

The trouble with the report of these inconsistencies in her story is that the whole picture has not been presented. The source's quote seems to imply that the maid lied about the Strauss-Kahn rape, when the sentence actually refers to her description of her flight from Guinea and her immigration application. Connections with the accused drug dealer/trafficker are weak at best. How many women in the Bronx alone can attest to being related to or married to a man who has been incarcerated? The numbers are staggering. As for possible money laundering, $100,000 divided into three years is only $33,333 or so a year. It's a living wage; not something that a drug dealer might be interested in laundering. It is entirely possible that these deposits were legal. In this economy, many of the unemployed and recently employed have depended upon infusions of cash from relatives and friends. Finally, the telephone call to the prisoner is under question. Did she call someone close to her to ask what to do? Was she upset enough to call a relative before calling police? Victims and witnesses to emergencies often call friends and relatives before calling 911. Their reasons for doing so usually hinge around blurred judgment and the inability to handle the situation by themselves. They call those that they think will be able to guide them, often getting the advice to hang up and call 911.

This "breaking news" of holes, lies, and inconsistencies in the Guinean maid's story can be looked at both ways, for or against Strauss-Kahn's case. What the press has done to smear the maid's credibility will have lasting effects upon her life. Her immigration status will come into question, as well as her reputation. Whether or not her quote pertains at all to the case is under question, and the press should have made this clear in their reports. A fair and unbiased report has not been offered to the public. It remains a task that should be fixed as soon as possible: find out what the rest of the story is, and present it before it affects both the maid and the trial of Dominique Strauss-Kahn.