In a stunning turnaround, a Manhattan judge ordered the release of Dominique Strauss-Kahn from home confinement today after the Manhattan DA said it had uncovered serious questions about the credibility of the hotel housekeeper who accused the former IMF chief of rape.
During a brief hearing, the judge ordered Strauss-Kahn be released on his own recognizance, although his passport remains the property of the DA’s office. He is allowed to travel within the United States.
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“I understand that the circumstances surrounding the case have changed substantially and I agree,” said Judge Michael Obus.
Releasing Strauss-Kahn without bail signals that the accusations of sexual assault may be less serious than previously thought. The DA, however, did not drop the charges.
“In the meantime, there will be no rush to judgement in this case,” said Obus, adding, “I expect the process will go on in a manner that is as fair as can be.”
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Present in the courtroom were the accuser’s lawyer, Kenneth Thompson, and some of the top brass of the DA’s office, including chief Assistant DA Daniel Alonzo and the DA’s top investigator, Robert Mooney. Manhattan DA Cy Vance was not present.
Before the start of the hearing, Strauss-Kahn entered the courtroom wearing an almost triumphant expression with his hands clasped in front of him. His wife, Anne Sinclair, looked cheerful and took her seat in the front row.
By the time it was all over, Strauss-Kahn and Sinclair were all smiles as they left the courtroom.
Afterwards, the shamed ex-IMF chief celebrated his freedom from house arrest at the cozy – and pricey – Upper East Side Italian eatery Scalinatella.
The East 61st Street restaurant regularly draws the high-powered Wall Street money crew – and DSK dressed the part, wearing a dark suit and white dress shirt and tie.
He was accompanied into the restaurant with his wife and a body guard.
Strauss-Kahn, who had been staying at a TriBeCa townhouse to fulfill the terms of his home confinement, is due back in court July 18.
“It is a great relief,” said Strauss-Kahn’s lawyer William Taylor, adding that the case underscores “how easy it is for people to be charged with serious crimes and for there to be a rush to judgment.”
“It is so important in this country that people — especially the media — refrain from judgment until the facts are all in,” he added.
This afternoon, a man delivered balloons to the home. The first delivery of balloons in May had been refused. This time, whoever answered the door accepted the delivery.
The balloons were red, white and blue — about 12 of them — with a big Statue of Liberty balloon on the top. The card attached read, “Enjoy your freedom on Independence Day.” The sender remains a mystery.
The hearing came after sources said the maid who accused Strauss-Kahn, 62, of a violent sex attack in his Midtown hotel room had repeatedly lied to prosecutors and is “personally associated” with money launderers and drug dealers — revelations that have sunk the prosecution’s case.
“She’s a con artist,” one law enforcement source said, adding that prosecutors have concluded “she cannot be put on the stand. She’d be a flawed witness.”
The alleged victim, a chambermaid at the Sofitel Hotel, “continuously lied to us,” a law-enforcement source told The Post.