Dominique Strauss-Kahn's attorneys Benjamin Brafman, left, and William Taylor speak to reporters after meeting at the Manhattan District Attorneys office, Wednesday, July 6, 2011 in New York. A judge released Strauss-Kahn last week without bail or home confinement in the sexual assault case against him after prosecutors acknowledged serious questions about the credibility of the hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault. The criminal case against him stands.[Photo/Agencies]

NEW YORK  — A lawyer for the hotel maid who has accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of trying to rape her in New York is asking for a special prosecutor to pursue the case. Kenneth Thompson asked Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. in a letter Wednesday to recuse his office from the case and appoint a special prosecutor.

A Vance spokeswoman says the request is meritless, and prosecutors strongly disagree with how their work has been characterized. Thompson says he believes the DA's office is behind media reports attributed to anonymous sources that the 32-year-old woman referred to Strauss-Kahn's wealth in a recorded telephone call to an incarcerated friend.

Thompson says he wants to insure the woman's rights "are not further prejudiced by deliberate acts seeking to undermine her credibility."