Trump Campaign Manager Won’t Face Prosecution


Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, will not be prosecuted for a battery charge in connection to former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields, Florida prosecutors announced on Thursday.

“Although the facts support the allegation that Lewandowski did grab Miss Fields’ arm against her will, there is sufficient evidence to presume his innocence,” Florida state attorney Dave Aronberg said in a press conference.

The decision not to pursue the battery charge should come as a major relief to Trump, who has been under fire for defending Lewandowski despite mounting evidence he forcibly grabbed Fields by the arm as she tried to approach the presidential candidate at a March 8 campaign event. Since the incident, both Lewandowski and Trump repeatedly denied Fields’ accusation and attempted to discredit her as an “attention seeker” and “delusional.”

But weeks later, surveillance footage that appeared to corroborate Fields’ claims was released, prompting Jupiter, Florida, police to charge Lewandowski with simple battery. Even then, Trump continued to insist his campaign manager was innocent.

Despite Trump’s public defense, recent reports say Lewandowski’s role in the campaign has diminished.

“The crew’s expanding,” one source told Politico. “The inner circle is not what it used to be.”

Owned by no one—except you.

We just keep seeing it happen: Newsrooms owned by billionaires and corporations are spinning their own narratives, overwriting the truth, following only stories that keep them in the pocket of those with even more power.

Not here. We’re not owned by anyone. We’re not part of any cult that demands our allegiance to a bottom line. We’ve spoken up and spoken out while other newsrooms changed their stories—or cut them altogether—to keep the C suite happy.

Our mission is to find the truth and amplify it. That’s why we’re independent, nonprofit, and, crucially, funded by readers. The investigations on our website will always be free to read, watch, and listen to, but our newsroom is powered by readers who pitch in what they can so we can keep asking the hard questions.

Can you chip in today?

Owned by no one—except you.

We just keep seeing it happen: Newsrooms owned by billionaires and corporations are spinning their own narratives, overwriting the truth, following only stories that keep them in the pocket of those with even more power.

Not here. We’re not owned by anyone. We’re not part of any cult that demands our allegiance to a bottom line. We’ve spoken up and spoken out while other newsrooms changed their stories—or cut them altogether—to keep the C suite happy.

Our mission is to find the truth and amplify it. That’s why we’re independent, nonprofit, and, crucially, funded by readers. The investigations on our website will always be free to read, watch, and listen to, but our newsroom is powered by readers who pitch in what they can so we can keep asking the hard questions.

Can you chip in today?

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

INDEPENDENT. BECAUSE OF YOU.

Mother Jones has no billionaires calling the shots—just readers like you making fearless reporting possible

Donate