R. Kelly Associates Charged With Trying To Bribe, Intimidate His Accusers

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An attorney for R. Kelly, seen in May 2019, said his client «had nothing to do with any of these alleged acts by those charged.

Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

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Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

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New York Federal Prosecutors File New Charges Against R. Kelly

Almost immediately after the charges against the men were announced were announced on Wednesday, one of Kelly’s attorneys, Steve Greenberg, posted on Twitter: «Without question, Robert Kelly had nothing to do with any of these alleged acts by those charged. He hasn’t attempted to intimidate anyone, or encouraged anyone else to do so. No involvement whatsoever.

The New York prosecutors had already alleged that Kelly and his associates — including «managers, bodyguards, drivers, personal assistants and runners for Kelly, as well as members of Kelly’s entourage — were acting as an organized crime ring.

They have also contended that Kelly obstructed justice by destroying evidence and bribing witnesses during his last criminal trial, which ended with a not guilty verdict in Chicago in 2008.

Kelly is facing two sets of federal criminal charges: one in the Eastern District and the other in Illinois. In total, these comprise 22 charges for allegedly abusing 11 girls and women over the course of more than two decades, from 1994 to 2018.