On Thursday, a federal judge reduced the $18 million a Swedish woman is supposed to receive after having prevailed in a trial against a New York financier she alleged of sexual harassment and defamation.
According to Yahoo, U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe in Manhattan would grant a new damages trial for New York Global Group CEO Benjamin Wey unless the plaintiff agrees to his request of having the $18 million verdict cut to $5.65 million. Former employee Hanna Bouveng's decision is expected to be made before or by April 10.
In the 111-page decision, Gardephe upheld the jury's finding of liability in the case. The lawsuit indicated that Wey coerced Bouveng into having sex but she refused his advances and in retaliation, Wey defamed her through blog posts.
CNBC wrote that Wey's lawyer had no comment regarding this and it was the same with the lawyer of Bouveng who did not give a response from requests. Wey posted on Twitter the word 'victory', reiterating the lawsuit amounted to 'extortion.' The Bouveng trial has been featured a lot in tabloid covers since the story is between a young woman and a Wall Street financier with an age difference of 20 years.
During the trial itself, lawyers for Bouveng had argued that Wey engaged to several relentless campaign of sexual harassment since hiring her in 2013. According to Daily Mail, he also bought her gifts and then proceed to demand sexual favors in return. After she filed the lawsuit against him, Wey started writing defaming posts in an online publication, TheBlot.
Wey is known to have been separately indicted in September with federal securities fraud charges for engineering Chinese and manipulating stock prices, earning him millions in the process. He continuously pleaded not guilty.
