Former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is now putting together an army of investigators, media advisors and former spies to fight back the sexual assault charges.
Interestingly, people he consulted so far include ex-CIA spies, top New York criminal investigators and well-connected public relations specialists in France.
Prosecutors estimate that Strauss-Kahn could be paying as much as $200,000 a month for his security. Fees for lawyers and investigators could cost millions more.
Strauss-Kahn, who was released on $1 million bail and a $5 million bond on May 20, is under house arrest in a temporary apartment just a step from Wall Street in Lower Manhattan.
His original plan to take up residence in a luxury Upper East Side building upon his release from jail fell through after neighbours complained about his alleged crimes and the international news media encampment that materialized on their doorstep.
The 62-year-old former IMF chief was indicted on seven counts on May 19 including attempted rape. He allegedly forced a 32-year-old maid at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan to have sex with him.