Donald Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was charged with misdemeanor battery today after allegedly grabbing a female reporter by the arm and bruising her at a campaign event earlier this month.
The reporter, Michelle Fields, formerly with Breitbart.com, pressed criminal charges against Lewandowski soon after the incident allegedly occurred. She also posted pictures on social media of what she says are bruises on her arm caused by Lewandowski.
Lewandowski turned himself over to the Jupiter police early this morning, according to PalmBeachPost.com.
“He will enter a plea of not guilty and looks forward to his day in court,” Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks said in a statement today. “He is completely confident that he will be exonerated.”
Florida police released video footage of the incident in question today. In the video, Lewandowski is clearly shown grabbing Fields by the arm.
Despite video footage, Lewandowski has repeatedly claimed that he “never touched” Fields.
@MichelleFields you are totally delusional. I never touched you. As a matter of fact, I have never even met you.
— Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) March 11, 2016
Trump has also denied Field’s claims, stating that he “thinks she made it up.”
VIDEO: Trump to @DylanByers on @MichelleFields incident. "I think she made it up." pic.twitter.com/VUB5LnbrTM
— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) March 11, 2016
The attorney representing Lewandowski, Kendall Coffey, also has a checkered history when it comes to women. He resigned from his position as a U.S. Attorney in 1996 after he allegedly bit a stripper named Tiffany in a private “champagne room” at a Florida strip club.
https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/714841671616360448
Lewandowski’s lawyer: https://t.co/JAVQyl34Nx
… resigned as US Atty after biting a stripper https://t.co/KPkxH9yrQE pic.twitter.com/ZkZsYKBitV
— Jamison Foser (@jamisonfoser) March 29, 2016
Coffey reportedly tried to kiss the stripper, but ended up biting her instead. After he used his credit card to pay for the $900 tab, Coffey allegedly tried to get his father to buy back the credit card slip–which had his name on it–for $1,200. His alleged attempts to conceal his identity spurred Tiffany to go public with her story, ultimately resulting in Coffey’s resignation as a federal prosecutor
Under Florida state statutes, battery is a misdemeanor crime that is punishable by up to $1,000 in fines and up to one year in prison. You can read the full police report detailing the charges filed against Lewandowski here.
