WASHINGTON — (CNN) A Breitbart reporter says she has filed charges against Donald Trump’s campaign manager, alleging that he grabbed her and bruised her while she was attempting to ask a question.
The reporter, Michelle Fields, confirmed to CNNMoney that she filed charges against Corey Lewandowski Friday with the police department in Jupiter, Florida.
Police in Jupiter said they were looking into misdemeanor battery allegations. The police report, obtained by CNNMoney, identifies the complainant as Fields, but does not name a suspect.
“As for any suspect, that information is being investigated at this time,” Officer Adam Brown said.
The police said the incident “occurred at 115 Eagle Tree Terrace (Trump National) on March 8, 2016.”
That was when Fields claims that someone grabbed her forcefully as she was about to ask Trump a question.
The charges came a day after Trump told CNN that in his opinion the allegations were made up.
“Everybody said nothing happened. Perhaps she made the story up. I think that’s what happened,” Trump said after the Republican debate.
In a tweet Thursday Lewandowski called Fields “delusional.”
The charges are the latest twist in an incident that has been highly charged but not very clear. There is no video of the moment when Fields is allegedly accosted and Fields has said she didn’t see who grabbed her, although she said the person left bruises on her arm. Even Fields’ employer, Breitbart News, has wavered over the allegations against Lewandowski.
Trump’s campaign released a new statement on Friday, after the police announced they were investigating the incident.
“The accusation, which has only been made in the media and never addressed directly with the campaign, is entirely false,” campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said.
Washington Post reporter Ben Terris says he witnessed the incident and identified Lewandowski as the person who grabbed her.
Breitbart stood by Fields’ account on Thursday and demanded that Lewandowski apologize to Fields. But on Friday, Breitbart said a video of the moments just before the incident shows Lewandowski and another man of similar appearance walking in a crowd near Trump.
The news outlet says the actual yanking incident is not on the video, so it was not clear who pulled Fields aside. Breitbart said that it was possible that Lewandowski could have been misidentified.
The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
(Photo: CNN)
