What made Weinstein exempt from accountability was the fact that he was not just a run-of-the-mill Hollywood progressive, but a well-connected rich political activist who rubbed shoulders with politicians and their families (he hired Malia Obama as a summer intern), funded films that reflected liberal orthodoxies, donated cash to Democratic candidates, and bundled even larger sums for Democrats’ campaigns.

By liberal orthodoxy, Weinstein was known as an abject sexist and sexual predator deserving of prison. But also by liberal orthodoxy, his value to the cause for some 30 years outweighed the harm he had done to individuals.

The cases of Woody Allen and Roman Polanski are similar: Their exemptions were predicated on their value for liberal society as progressive artists.