Greg Kelly, a TV anchor on the local Fox affiliate and the son of New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, has been accused of raping a woman last October at her law firm office in Lower Manhattan. The woman, who is in her late twenties or early thirties, told police that the alleged assault happened after the two had drinks at the South Street Seaport. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is currently investigating the claim instead of the NYPD, because of the obvious conflict of interest.
Update: The New York Post and DNA Info are both reporting now that the woman allegedly became pregnant from the sexual assault and went on to have an abortion.
Kelly, 43, is a co-anchor on Good Day New York on Fox 5, and served previously as a U.S. Marine and political reporter on the station NY1.
According to the Times, the woman’s complaint was made on Tuesday night at the 13th Precinct station. She says that when her boyfriend learned of her encounter with Kelly later, he confronted the police commissioner at a public event and claimed Greg had committed sexual assault. The elder Kelly, according to the woman, recommended the man write a letter. The commissioner claims that the man only said vaguely that Greg had “ruined my girlfriend’s life,” but declined to say more.
ABC News reports that the boyfriend yelled at Kelly, “You better keep an eye on your son,” according to a friend of the alleged victim. The woman has been “an emotional cripple” since the alleged incident, the friend said. “The boyfriend was outraged and out of his mind when he realized what had happened,” she added. “He went and picked her up from the office where she was distraught, and he said later that the rape had taken place there.”
“Mr. Kelly is aware that the New York County District Attorney’s office is conducting an investigation,” the younger Kelly’s lawyer said in a statement. “Mr. Kelly strenuously denies any wrongdoing of any kind, and is cooperating fully with the district attorney’s investigation. We know the district attorney’s investigation will prove Mr. Kelly’s innocence.” NYPD spokesman Paul Browne referred most inquiries about the charges to Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance. Browne and Commissioner Kelly are already under fire this week for first denying, and later admitting, participation in an anti-Muslim film during NYPD training.
This morning on Fox 5, the allegations against Greg Kelly were reported, but his whereabouts were unknown.
Update: In the past, Kelly’s defense lawyer has said he rarely speaks to the press about ongoing cases:
”You invite the law of unintended consequences” by speaking to the media, said Andrew M. Lankler, a defense lawyer.
Mr. Lankler generally refuses to comment for reporters - except to explain to Courthouse Confidential his take on dealing with the media.
”There are three occasions where people speak to the media,” Mr. Lankler said. ”The first is, you didn’t do it, your client didn’t do it, and it’s important for the world to know your client didn’t do it.
’The other time you talk to the media is when you totally did it - there’s no ifs, ands or buts. You might as well get out ahead of it and try to poison the jury pool as fast as possible.
”Every other reason, in my opinion, it’s a mistake because you don’t know how it’s going to spin.”
Update 2: The Daily News reports that Kelly is going to be absent from his morning show for a bit.
“Greg Kelly has requested some time off,” Lew Leone, FOX 5’s general manager, said in a statement. He did not elaborate on how much time Kelly would be off the air, but the station said Steve Lacy would substitute for him Friday and Monday, as he did Thursday.
This post has been updated throughout.
