[guest post by Dana]

Lisa Bloom, attorney advising sexual predator Harvey Weinstein, has had a change of mind:

The high-profile attorney Lisa Bloom is stepping down from her role as an adviser to Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused by numerous women of sexual harassment, Bloom told HuffPost on Saturday.

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Bloom has been under fire since the news broke that she was part of Weinstein’s legal team. The feminist lawyer is known for representing women against high-profile harassers, such as Bill O’Reilly and Bill Cosby, and many of her supporters saw her work with Weinstein as a betrayal of her values.

As I wrote, upon reading that Weinstein was developing Bloom’s book (about Trayvon Martin) into a six-episode production for the screen, her decision to be an adviser to him was a painfully obvious self-serving one which diminished her credibility, and certainly tarnished the cause of feminism:

Oh, for godsake. Just stop it. Bloom is defending a powerful mogul who is working to… bring her book to the screen?? This gives her credibility? Does she believe Women everywhere are collectively shaking their heads in understanding, Ah, well, that makes sense. How else are you going to get your book made into a movie? Irony doesn’t bite much more than Lisa Bloom herself selling her soul for the part.

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The lesson [as demonstrated by Bloom] must be that if a Democrat who has been accused of “decades of sexual harassment,” has backed up their political persuasion with sizable donations to the candidate of choice, and promises to make her movie, then Bloom’s decision to tarnish the cause of feminism and show her hypocritical underpants is justified. She has no qualms about defending this powerful, wealthy “old dinosaur,” even if it has been feminists on the left who have been the targets of his harassment.

Ultimately, Bloom’s sellout was a slap in the face of the victims who have come forward, and those who have yet to do so.

Maybe Bloom’s decision to part ways with Weinstein was due to the criticism she received. Maybe Weinstein masturbating into a potted plant tipped the scales for her. Or maybe she just didn’t want to risk facing her own mother, Gloria Allred, in court:

Allred said she could not account or speak for her daughter’s actions, but warned that she would not be afraid to face her in court, representing Weinstein’s accusers.

“While I would not represent Mr. Weinstein, I would consider representing anyone who accused Mr. Weinstein of sexual harassment, even if it meant that my daughter was the opposing counsel,” said Allred.

Even if this decision was just self-serving damage control, which I believe it to be, it is still a good decision. Unfortunately for Bloom, it will not erase the fact that she jumped on board as an adviser who was willing to make patently pathetic excuses for Weinstein’s inappropriate, intimidating and illegal behavior. The choices she made will always be a reminder of just how easily Lisa Bloom sacrificed her alleged principles.

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

UPDATE: