The accuser's lawyer has fired back. All I can say is wow:
Atlanta NFL lawyer, David Cornwell, has apparently leaked to TMZ a self-serving letter to Florida State University that is full of dishonest and distorted statements at a time when Mr. Winston is suffering from the negative attention of his own continuing misconduct of last week. Mr. Cornwell appears to know that Mr. Winston is about to be charged by Florida State with sexual assault and this letter seems to be his final attempt to prevent FSU from complying with federal law.
The facts that Mr. Cornwell chose not to disclose are that it was he, himself, who reached out to our clients former counsel Patricia Carroll to discuss paying off our client. Patricia Carroll didnt even know who David Cornwell was until he called. Mr. Cornwell then himself flew down from Atlanta to negotiate with Ms. Carroll.
Settlement discussions were immediately unproductive as Cornwell was crude and insulting going so far as to say your client likes to [expletive] football players. When told that the clients main concern was not money but that Winston be held accountable for his actions, Cornwell threatened to sue our client and her parents for civil racketeering in an effort to intimidate them into staying quiet. After learning about Mr. Cornwells unprofessional conduct at that meeting from Ms. Carroll, our office has decidedly not engaged with Mr. Cornwell at all or anyone else on Mr. Winstons behalf. Although it our understanding that settlement was discussed, no authorized demands were made of Mr. Winston.
Mr. Cornwell additionally and inaccurately portrays that our client chose to file a complaint two years later. The truth is that the University approached our client in October of 2013 and asked her for the first time whether she would cooperate with disciplinary charges against Mr. Winston after the school received a second report of sexual misconduct by another woman. Our client responded that she would certainly cooperate. Since that time our client through counsel has repeatedly agreed to cooperate and meet with the University. All of these communications, including the October 2013 discussion with FSU officials, is documented. Mr. Cornwell may wish the truth were otherwise, but FSUs own records proves him false.
To the extent that Mr. Cornwell references statements about Mr. Winstons race, we would doubt that Ms. Carroll made such remarks. The suggested remarks are certainly not beliefs held by our client and she would never authorize anyone to say such things.