Nafissatou Diallo (UPI)
Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s struggles with New York City justice may have ended, but his accuser’s battle may just be beginning.
Chambermaid Nafissatou Diallo could be on the hook for state and federal perjury charges, legal experts warn.
“Diallo, by holding press conferences, is baiting the prosecution, who have hard evidence she engaged in serious acts of perjury,” said defense attorney Bruce Barket, who is not involved with the case.
Among her more serious alleged transgressions:
* Diallo, 32, told a grand jury she ran out of the Sofitel hotel room in shock after Strauss-Kahn supposedly attacked her, but she actually went on to clean another room.
* She lied to federal authorities while seeking asylum about being gang-raped by soldiers in her native Guinea.
* She claimed a fictitious daughter as a dependent on her tax returns.
“There has been a precedent for prosecutors in these kinds of incidents,” said Barket, who negotiated a no-jail plea for Hofstra student Danmell Ndonye in 2009 after she falsely accused four classmates of rape. “My guess, they will prosecute her.”
Federal authorities who could seek charges include the IRS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A Class D state felony perjury conviction carries a sentence of 8 1/3 to 25 years.
“Offering a false instrument in the second degree is an A misdemeanor. If she was charged and convicted of that, she could spend more time in Rikers than [DSK] did,” said defense attorney Thomas Kenniff.
Asked whether he would pursue a perjury charge against Diallo, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. declined to comment.
Additional reporting by Laura Italiano