Harvey Weinstein believes the allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour against him are part of a right-wing 'conspiracy' to take him down, DailyMail.com can reveal.

The Hollywood mogul thinks that shadowy right wing forces are 'out to get me' and that he is being targeted for his liberal views.

In an echo of his close friend Hillary Clinton's notorious claim that 'a vast right-wing conspiracy' was out to get her and her husband, the Democratic supporter is making the claim to those around him - despite his admission

Weinstein believes a team of lawyers linked to conservative groups have been digging up dirt on him and that other prominent Democrat supporters will be attacked next.

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Helping hand: Weinstein exited his office with attorney Lisa Bloom (above), who is known for her work with victims of sexual harassment

Conspiracy theorists: Harvey Weinstein, a long-time booster of both Clintons, now joins Hillary in claiming a shadowy right-wing network is targeting them for their convictions

Friend in low place: He has hosted fundraisers for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama (above in 2007) over the past decade - but they are silent so far on the revelations against him

The Oscar-winning founder of film company Miramax was accused of reaching at least eight settlements with women for inappropriate behaviour going back three decades in a bombshell investigation by the New York Times.

He is said to have asked Ashley Judd to watch him shower and paid Rose McGowan $100,000 under a settlement for an incident shortly before her breakthrough role in 'Scream'.

DailyMail.com was contacted by sources familiar with Weinstein's thinking hours before the story went live on the website of the New York Times.

The bullish comments contrast with the contrite statement that Weinstein issued to the New York Times in which he said that 'the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it'.

But at the same time he has also threatened to sue the New York Times, claiming that some of their material came from private company personnel records.

Weinstein is a prominent public figure who would have to show that their heavily-sourced story was not only untrue, but that the paper acted with malice in publishing it to win a defamation case against them.

Weinstein, 65, also said he has spent spent the last year taking counsel on gender roles from Lisa Bloom, who has represented victims of sexual assault in prominent cases including against Bill Cosby.

She was also instrumental in ending Bill O'Reilly's Fox News career over allegations of sexual harassment.

Speaking to DailyMail.com a source painted a different picture, one of a man who felt that he was the victim of a sinister-sounding plot.

The source said: 'Harvey feels is being set up by a team of people who are out to get him.

Down and out in lower Manhattan: Harvey Weinstein was in photographed exclusively by DailyMail.com seen looking downcast after news broke that he sexually harassed a number of female employees over the past three decades

'Nobody is claiming that the New York Times spent any money to get this story done but other organisations may have done.

'There are are conservative organisations who know he is long-time foe of the NRA, of Donald Trump, and a longtime supporter of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and the Democrats.

'He believes they are financing a team of lawyers who are digging up these stories.

'There's a political agenda behind this. Harvey feels it's a conspiracy and that's the most interesting part of this, where it originated from, not the erroneous reporting that's going on.

'He won't be the last, other people like him will be targeted too.'

The New York Times article alleges that many of the women reported meeting Weinstein at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills where he would make inappropriate advances towards them.

He is said to have exploited his power as one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, one who could make stars of actresses like Jennifer Lawrence in 'Silver Linings Playbook' or Catherine Zeta-Jones in 'Chicago, to try and take advantage of them.

In a memo to human resources at The Weinstein Company, Lauren O'Connor, a female assistant who says Weinstein persuaded to give her a massage in 2015, wrote: 'I am a 28 year old woman trying to make a living and a career. Harvey Weinstein is a 64 year old, world famous man and this is his company. The balance of power is me: 0, Harvey Weinstein: 10'.

Judd told the newspaper that she was invited up to Weinstein's room 20 years ago where he appeared in a bathrobe and asked if he could massage her or watch him shower.

She remembered thinking to herself: 'How do I get out of the room as fast as possible without alienating Harvey Weinstein?'

She soon got another invitation and was asked to give him a shoulder rub. When she declined he asked her to watch him shower again.

Judd said: 'I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times, and he always came back at me with some new ask. It was all this bargaining, this coercive bargaining'.

Weinstein also reportedly reached a settlement with an Italian model after he was accused of sexual harassment in 2015 at his office in Manhattan.

In his statement Weinstein said that he was taking a leave of absence from The Weinstein Company to 'deal with this issue head on'.

More liberal links: Malia Obama was an intern for Weinstein earlier this year

He said: 'Though I'm trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go'.

In a statement Bloom said: 'As a women's rights advocate, I have been blunt with Harvey and he has listened to me. I have told him that times have changed, it is 2017, and he needs to evolve to a higher standard.

'I have found Harvey to be refreshingly candid and receptive to my message. He has acknowledged mistakes he has made. He is reading books and going to therapy. He is an old dinosaur learning new ways'.

The New York Times article was written by investigative reporter Jodi Kantor, who wrote about poor working conditions at Amazon, and Megan Twohey.

Another piece about his indiscretions is reportedly due to be published in the New Yorker and is being written by Ronan Farrow, the former MSNBC host and son of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow.

Along with Bloom, Weinstein has retained star litigator David Boies and Charles Hader, who represented Hulk Hogan in his lawsuit against Gawker.

Harder said that he was preparing a lawsuit against the New York Times for writing a story that is 'saturated with false and defamatory statements about Harvey Weinstein'.

He said: 'It relies on mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty report, apparently stolen from an employee personnel file, which has been debunked by 9 different eyewitnesses.

'We sent the Times the facts and evidence, but they ignored it and rushed to publish. We are preparing the lawsuit now. All proceeds will be donated to women's organizations'.

Weinstein co-founded Miramax with his brother Bob in the 1970s and its hits have included Pulp Fiction.

Disney bought Miramax in 2005 and the Weinstein brothers founded The Weinstein Company.

The new crisis for Weinstein comes days after he was dragged into a funding row over AIDS charity amfAR, which he has supported for decades.

The dispute is over $600,000 that was raised at amfAR's gala dinner at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2015 and was given to the American Repertory Theater at Harvard.

Four members of the amfAR board have complained to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman because they the nonprofit's chairman Kenneth Cole did not consult them before sending the money.