UPDATED with new video at end of article. Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields has filed criminal assault charges with Jupiter, Florida police against Donald Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, Benny Johnson with the Independent Journal Review reported Friday. Fields claims Lewandowski grabbed her by the arm causing bruising as she was trying to question Trump.
Also on Friday, video surfaced that partially shows the alleged incident. The video, while inconclusive, does put Fields and Lewandowski in the same screen shot around Trump as he is exiting his conference accompanied by security and a swarm of reporters and supporters. Fields can be seen speaking to Trump. He then moves on past her. Fields can be partially seen as the camera stays on Trump and then she is out of the frame. Some observers claim she be seen being tugged.
https://twitter.com/MichaelRWarren/status/708324496139284481
As this was being reported, Breitbart issued a report suggesting that this is a case of mistaken identity; that another man with close-cropped hair resembling Lewandowski probably grabbed Fields by the arm.
“New video of Donald Trump’s press conference Tuesday evening shows that the Washington Post’s account of an altercation involving Breitbart News reporter Michelle Fields could not possibly have happened as Ben Terris reported.
In conducting our own due diligence, we have reviewed as much video footage and other evidence as possible, and present it in the interest of transparency.
Contrary to what Donald Trump said Thursday evening after the GOP debate, the incident certainly happened. However, the person who made contact with Fields was likely not Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.”
…”A photograph by Washington Post photographer Jabin Botsford, Terris’s colleague, released by ABC News World News Tonight, and taken seconds before the altercation took place, shows two men with short-cropped hair…”
Thursday night following the CNN GOP presidential debate Trump told CNN’s Dylan Byers he thought Fields might be making up the story. Lewandowski posted a tweet calling Fields “delusional” and stating he never touched her.
@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
The Trump campaign also released a statement earlier Thursday denying Fields’ claim and challenging her credibility.
I guess these just magically appeared on me @CLewandowski_ @realDonaldTrump. So weird. pic.twitter.com/oD8c4D7tw3
— Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) March 10, 2016
In response, Fields posted a photo of a bruised arm.
UPDATE: Video posted by C-SPAN’s Jeremy Art picks up where TGP’s Kristinn Taylor stopped filming. Kristinn, with his back to the camera, can be seen holding up his smartphone in the first second of Art’s video. Advocates for Fields claim this video with an obscured vantage point proves her claim.
Video of @CLewandowski_ ending press Qs after Trump presser in Jupiter, FL Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/fe8HwUCnPz
— Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) March 9, 2016
Different angle of Michelle Fields, Ben Terris and Corey Lewandowski. pic.twitter.com/bw3uYfHbKY
— Jeremy Art (@cspanJeremy) March 11, 2016
https://twitter.com/LeighWolf/status/708395370632626176
The new video has been given the Zapruder touch by Fields’ supporters at Townhall.
