Florida police have charged Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski with misdemeanor battery after former Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields accused him of grabbing her at a March 8 campaign event.
As iMediaEthics previously reported, Fields quit Breitbart News when the conservative news site would not support her after she came forward with her claims. She filed a police report earlier this month with the Jupiter, Florida police.
The Jupiter, Florida police released pictures from security cameras that “appears to corroborate Ms. Fields’s version of events: Mr. Lewandowski can be seen reaching for and then grabbing her arm, tugging at her clothing as he pulls her; he then walks ahead of her, close behind Mr. Trump,” the New York Times reported. “The entire incident takes less than four seconds.”
“She felt someone yank her left arm,” the police report says. “She added that she fell back but caught herself from falling.” The report notes that Fields had “bruising from what appeared to be several finger marks indicating a grabbing type injury.”
The incident prompted turmoil at Breitbart, with Fields’ account being questioned, staff quitting in response to Breitbart’s handling of the matter, and a mean-spirited article by Breitbart’s editor that criticized another staff editor Ben Shapiro who quit over the incident. That widely reviled article was later unpublished by Breitbart.
Lewandowski accused Fields of being delusional.
@MichelleFields you are totally delusional. I never touched you. As a matter of fact, I have never even met you.
— Corey Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) March 11, 2016
After the news broke of Lewandowski’s charge, Trump criticized Fields’ account, to which she responded that she has not changed her claims.
Because my story never changed. Seriously, just stop lying. https://t.co/1fz9cBHOuT
— Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) March 29, 2016
Trump claimed the video showed there was “nothing there” and stood by Lewandowski.
Wow, Corey Lewandowski, my campaign manager and a very decent man, was just charged with assaulting a reporter. Look at tapes-nothing there!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2016
The Trump campaign issued a statement claiming Lewandowski “is absolutely innocent of this charge” and will plead not guilty.
Trump Camp statement on Corey Lewandowksi charges pic.twitter.com/Oq6R0QP4rH
— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) March 29, 2016
iMediaEthics has written to the Trump campaign and Lewandowski’s attorney for comment on the charges. We have tweeted Fields.
Hat Tip: Fox News
