Jonathan Kaye, a senior banker at Moelis in New York, has been charged with assault after a video of him punching a woman at a Brooklyn Pride event was released online. Kaye’s lawyer claims that he was defending himself against attackers who used antisemitic slurs against him. As a result of the incident, Kaye resigned from his position at Moelis while the company conducted an investigation.
On Monday morning, Kaye turned himself in to the police and is expected to be arraigned later in the day. The video shows Kaye punching a woman during the event, resulting in his arrest on second- and third-degree assault charges. His lawyer, Danya Perry, stated that Kaye was being “terrorized” by a group of people who physically assaulted him and hurled liquids while yelling antisemitic insults.
Despite the charges against him, Kaye’s spokesperson emphasized that he felt threatened during the incident due to rising antisemitic tensions and acted in self-defense to protect himself and return safely to his family. Prior to his resignation, Kaye was a managing director at Moelis, leading the global business-services franchise. Moelis has yet to provide a comment on the situation.