Investigating Injustice

In October 2019, Rich McHugh ’93 (above right) and Ronan Farrow (center) revealed the story behind their search for the truth about Harvey Weinstein at “Truth Be Told,” a special engagement hosted by Chicago Ideas at the Harris Theater. McHugh is featured prominently in Farrow’s book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators.

WHEN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST and film producer Rich McHugh ’93 began working with Ronan Farrow at NBC, the two could not have foreseen that their investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein would alter the course of countless lives—–including their own.

McHugh joined forces with Farrow in 2015 for Undercovered with Ronan Farrow, an NBC investigative series. The pair zeroed in on Weinstein in 2017 and interviewed actress Rose McGowan about her allegations that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997.

McHugh and Farrow spent months pursuing the story. Yet, from the moment they interviewed McGowan, they were dogged by Weinstein’s own private investigators, including elite trained covert operatives from Black Cube, a shadowy intelligence firm staffed by former members of Mossad, a specialized Israeli intelligence unit.

“It was terrifying,” McHugh recalls. “They were tracking us to figure out who we were interviewing and sending daily reports back to Weinstein. My cell phone and emails were hacked. I warned my wife and daughters not to open the door for strangers, and we began communicating through encrypted apps and burner phones.”

Rich McHugh '93

But, as McHugh and Farrow continued to gather evidence to support the allegations against Weinstein, the network began to balk. Eight months into the investigation, McHugh was summoned by NBC’s top brass and told: “No further calls. You are to stand down.” W

Six weeks after NBC killed the investigation, Farrow published their reporting in The New Yorker and the story exploded. McHugh resigned from the network in August 2018 and has since written extensively about the Weinstein trial, as well as NBC’s decision to suppress the story, for Vanity Fair. McHugh was in the courtroom earlier this year, when Weinstein was convicted of rape and criminal sexual assault—–a verdict that would lead to a 23-year prison sentence.

“When we began looking into the allegations against Harvey Weinstein in early 2017, we had no idea how enormous the story would become or how widespread his abuse of power was,” he reflects today. “So it was absolutely gratifying to be there when the verdict was read and to watch him be remanded into custody. The verdict in this trial shows us that powerful people can be brought to justice, no matter how much money they have or how hard they can fight to suppress stories and allegations.”

McHugh—–who is currently developing an investigative series with Lionsgate TV—–says that his parents, but also his Rambler years, helped him develop the moral compass that guides him in his investigative work today.

“I remember taking a Faith and Justice course that had a big impact on me,” he explains. “Whenever I’m tested in my career, I can trace my decision to do what is ethically right back to the values I learned from my parents and at Loyola.”

In October 2019, Rich McHugh ’93 (above right) and Ronan Farrow (center) revealed the story behind their search for the truth about Harvey Weinstein at “Truth Be Told,” a special engagement hosted by Chicago Ideas at the Harris Theater. McHugh is featured prominently in Farrow’s book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators.