The sex scandal that toppled Dominique Strauss-Kahn gripped the world with its salacious allegations, dramatic twists, and a stunning turnabout in court. But the public saw only a fraction of what really went on behind the scenes, where justice played second fiddle to egos, political pressures, and investigative missteps. Now award-winning reporter John Solomon exposes the story you didn't know, delivering a searing indictment of American justice at its moment of intense international scrutiny.
When Strauss-Kahn arrived in New York on Friday, May 13, 2011, he was an international political powerhouse and favorite to win the French presidential election. By Monday, he was sitting in the notorious Rikers Island jail, his career in tatters.
Likewise, when hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo arrived at work on Saturday morning, she never could have predicted that a brief encounter with a VIP guest would put her at the center of a legal and public relations battle that would leave her life in shambles.
Those seven minutes in Suite 2806 would throw international politics into turmoil, eliminate one of the key players in Europe's debt crisis, and create a trial by fire for Manhattan's rookie district attorney. And it would all happen under the eye of a frenzied media which at first presumed guilt before suddenly turning the tables on the alleged victim. The public was left wondering: Was Dominique Strauss-Kahn guilty or innocent?
Solomon goes past the headlines to show how personal clashes, ambition, and media leaks took precedence over facts and evidence. He chronicles the personal battles that went on behind the scenes, from suicide worries to AIDS scares, and the toll they took on key players. He lays out in gripping detail all the facts, good and bad, pro and con, so that finally the public can judge what really happened in one of the most fascinating criminal cases of the last decade.