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 surfaced online. Kaye’s lawyer claimed that he was defending himself from attackers who used antisemitic slurs against him.
Kaye turned himself in to the police on Monday morning and is expected to be arraigned later in the day. In the video, Kaye is seen punching a woman, resulting in his arrest on second- and third-degree assault charges.
Danya Perry, Kaye’s lawyer, 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.
Kaye was a managing director at Moelis before resigning from his position following the incident. Moelis has yet to provide any comment on the situation.