C2 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 , 2019
BY TRAVIS DESHONGWashington entertainment gi-
ant Seth Hurwitz was arrested
and charged in Montgomery
County on Wednesday with solic-
iting prostitution from a massage
therapist.
A licensed massage and physi-
cal therapist said Hurwitz, owner
of the iconic 9:30 Club and chair-
man of an entertainment compa-
ny involved in the operation of
several popular Washington-area
concert venues, made inappro-
priate sexual comments and mo-
tions at her place of employment.
“The facts will come out in due
course,” read part of a statement
from Hurwitz’s attorney, provid-
ed to The Washington Post by a
spokeswoman for I.M.P., the en-
tertainment company. “In the
meantime, we ask that you give
consideration to Seth and his
family. Seth is presumed inno-
cent under our laws.”
According to Montgomery
County police, Hurwitz, 60, of
Bethesda, contacted the woman’s
business on Aug. 15 and went in
for an appointment that after-
noon. During the massage of his
lower body, according to police,
he told her that “if you would be
willing to go a little higher, your
tip would improve.” Police said
Hurwitz told the woman that he
enjoyed having his genitals mas-
saged, “but only if you are com-
fortable,” restating this caveat
several times.
Police said Hurwitz asked her
whether she made house calls.
While on his stomach, police said
the woman reported that Hur-
witz seemed to be “grinding on
the table” in a sexual manner.
The therapist also told detec-
tives that Hurwitz left a large
wad of cash out on the floor as if
on display, according to court
records. She said she ended the
massage early because of Hur-
witz’s increasingly sexual behav-
ior. When Hurwitz again asked
whether she would consider mas-
saging him at his home, the
therapist said she declined.
Police said that after the ap-
pointment Hurwitz texted and
phoned the woman several times,
further inquiring if she would
come to his home.
Police detectives were present
with the woman for a text conver-
sation and phone call with Hur-
witz a day after the initial en-
counter. Later, police said, Hur-
witz texted the woman telling her
that he could come to her office
the following Wednesday. She
asked him whether he wanted
just a massage, or whether he
wanted oral sex, too. “Let’s start
w massage and see how it goes,”
police said Hurwitz replied. He
offered to pay $500 for “60 min
massage everything.”
On Wednesday, detectives set
up surveillance outside the wom-
an’s business and arrested Hur-
witz when he arrived for the
appointment. Detectives saidHurwitz came with 10 $100 bills
in his left pocket.
Hurwitz is the chairman of the
I.M.P., an independent concert
promotion and production com-
pany that has operating agree-
ments with the Merriweather
Post Pavilion and Lincoln Thea-
tre and owns the Anthem and the
9:30 Club. As of 2017, the compa-
ny had presented more than
15,000 events since 1980. Earlier
this year, I.M.P. agreed to host the
Woodstock 50th anniversary
show at Merriweather Post Pavil-
ion, but the show was canceled
after several acts pulled out of the
event.
The I.M.P. spokeswoman for-
warded The Washington Post a
note from Hurwitz shared with
his employees. “Obviously the
recent events have caused a great
deal of embarrassment to every-
body,” Hurwitz wrote in part.
“This is not a matter that con-
cerns our business and please
soldier on as usual, doing the
great jobs that have made us who
we are.”
During the Aug. 16 phone call,
Hurwitz had alluded to other
women, including a “girl” who
“would do things” at his D.C.
apartment, according to police.
“And afterward she would seem
to get scared and shut down from
him,” according to police, “and he
would have to restart the process
with her each time getting her
back to a level she was comfort-
able with.”
Hurwitz was released Wednes-
day on $5,000 bond.
[email protected]Venue owner faces
solicitation charge
Seth Hurwitz, proprietor of the 9:30 Club,
is accused of propositioning massage therapist
presidential campaign. He regu-
larly criticized President Barack
Obama on the program, at times
raising his discredited “birther”
conspiracy theory against the
president.
Fox News’s current roster of
contributors includes Republi-
can former presidential candi-
date Herman Cain, Republican
former congressman Jason Chaf-
fetz, former George W. Bush
White House press secretary Ari
Fleischer and former House
speaker Newt Gingrich. It has
previously employed former sen-SANDERS FROM C1 ator Scott Brown, now-Rep. Liz
Cheney (R-Wyo.), former Ohio
governor John Kasich (now at
CNN) and former senator Rick
Santorum (also now at CNN) in
contributor roles. Fox has cut off
ties with contributors running
for office.
The network said Sanders will
make her debut as a contributor
on “Fox & Friends” on Sept. 6 and
will provide commentary on oth-
er Fox programs and networks,
including Fox Business Network,
Fox Nation and its radio division.
She will be based in Little Rock
when she’s on the air, Fox said.
[email protected]Sanders is latest to move
from White House to TV
JABIN BOTSFORD/THE WASHINGTON POST
Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, above
in 2017 with chief economic director Gary Cohn, will
provide her commentary for Fox News from little Rock.2009 PHOTO BY MARK GAIL/THE WASHINGTON POSTANDRÉ CHUNG FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Seth Hurwitz, owner of the
9:30 Club and chairman of the
company that operates the
Anthem, above, was charged in
Maryland’s Montgomery
County with soliciting sex from
a massage therapist.The
Reliable
SourceHelena Andrews-Dyer and Emily Heil
are away. Their column will resume
when they return.S0136- 2x2
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