Trump Campaign Chief Charged With Assault
Donald Trump's campaign manager has been charged in Florida over the alleged assault of a journalist, according to a police report.
Corey Lewandowski, 42, is accused of grabbing and bruising the arm of Michelle Fields, a reporter at the time for the conservative news website Breitbart, at a Trump rally on 8 March.
She tweeted out a picture of bruising following the alleged incident.
But in a statement, Mr Trump said: "Mr Lewandowski is absolutely innocent of this charge.
"He will enter a plea of not guilty and looks forward to his day in court.
"He is completely confident that he will be exonerated."
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Speaking to Fox News after releasing his statement, Mr Trump suggested Lewandowski was moving to protect him in the incident, and that he felt he was in danger when Ms Fields approached him.
Mr Trump said: "She grabbed me and she had something in her hand. I don't know what it was."
A surveillance video released by Jupiter police appears to show Lewandowski grab the reporter and pull her backwards as she tried to ask Mr Trump a question.
In previous footage, the incident had been obscured by people in the crowd.
The police report said: "Lewandowski grabbed (Michelle) Fields' left arm with his right hand causing her to turn and step back."
She showed police her left forearm which "appeared to show a grabbing-type injury", according to the investigating officer.
Lewandowski, who had previously denied the claim and called Ms Fields "delusional", has been ordered to appear before a judge on 4 May.
Mr Trump had also said at the time that he was told nothing had happened and that the incident was "in my opinion made up".
He has now suggested the reporter had changed her story, leading Ms Fields to tell him to "stop lying".
The offence Lewandowski is charged with carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison or a $1,000 fine.
In the wake of the latest development, Ted Cruz described his rival's campaign as an "abusive culture" which has "no place in our democracy".
"It helps clarify for the voters what the Trump campaign is all about," Mr Cruz said.
Ms Fields resigned from Breitbart following the incident over what she said was the online news outlet's failure to back her.
A number of her colleagues also subsequently quit.
And now the editor at Breitbart, who had cast doubt on Ms Fields account, has admitted he was wrong and that the new evidence supports her claims.
Campaign rallies for Mr Trump have been marred by trouble with occasional clashes between protesters and supporters of the outspoken Republican front runner.
The billionaire property tycoon has denied his combative rhetoric is to blame and has claimed the level of violence has been hyped up by the media.
