A Los Angeles police captain tipped off former CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves after a woman filed a confidential criminal sexual assault complaint against him, and then helped him cover up the allegation, according to a report from New York Attorney General Letitia James, reports Axios. Moonves was ultimately felled by multiple reports of sexual harassment published in the New Yorker and the New York Times. The LAPD captain, who worked as Moonves' security aide at the Grammy Awards for several years, called one of the CEO's staffers in 2017, shortly after the woman filed the complaint. "It's confidential, as you know, but call me, and I can give you some of the details and let you know what the allegation is before it goes to the media or gets out," said the officer in a voicemail to CBS' senior vice president of talent. Details of the investigation were made public Wednesday. The police officer kept in touch with the team, and at one point texted Moonves' personal attorney to say that the investigating officer on the case would "admonish" the accuser about going to the media. According to the report, accusations from a second accuser were silenced by a talent agent eager to get in Moonves' graces.
The allegation that the LAPD helped cover up the complaint is new; the complaint was reported by the New York Times in 2018. James' report on Wednesday details an "investigation" by an attorney hired by CBS. However, the investigation consisted of a 20-minute telephone call with Moonves and a request for his human resources file. No one else was interviewed, no additional documents or Moonves' electronic communications were reviewed. Under the deal announced Wednesday, CBS must pay $22 million to shareholders and another $6 million for sexual harassment and assault programs, the Associated Press reports. Moonves would have to pay $2.5 million to CBS shareholders, and for five years may not serve as an officer or director of a public company without approval from James. LAPD spokesperson Capt. Kelly Muniz said the department was "fully cooperating with the New York and California attorney general offices" and had also initiated an internal investigation."