But Politico on Wednesday reported that sources with knowledge of the situation said the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office would not be pursuing the battery charge facing Lewandowski.
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Former online political reporter Michelle Fields filed a report with Jupiter Police two weeks ago after Lewandowski was shown on video surveillance tape grabbing her by the arm and moving her out of Trump’s way following a press conference.
Lewandowski yanked Fields as she attempted to ask Trump a question as the candidate was leaving a press conference at a Trump-owned resort.
Aronberg determined that Lewandowski definitely grabbed Fields’ arm – which Lewandowski, the Trump campaign, and the GOP frontrunner himself have repeatedly denied – based on video evidence, but deemed the action to be justified. He said of the bruises on her arm: “How do you know those bruises weren’t there before?”
Local police charged Lewandowski with simple battery, but Palm Beach County State Attorney David Aronberg had to anticipate whether a jury would prosecute, Politico reported. He said that while he agrees that the police had probable cause to make an arrest, his office has a higher standard when deciding whether or not to prosecute.
Corey Lewandowski speaks with the media at the Mar-A-Lago Club on March 11 in Palm Beach, Florida. So she grabbed me, and then he maybe brushed her aside, and we’re going to destroy his life for that?
Lewandowski has said he was trying to protect Trump from Fields.
Fields has said she is considering a defamation suit against Trump and Lewandowski. “She’s grabbing me”, Trump said, describing his version of events.
The news is a sigh of relief for both Lewandowski and the Trump campaign, which risked facing a major legal distraction during the heat of the competitive presidential campaign. “I ask that he put him in my shoes and imagine he was my daughter”, Fields said previously.
“Mr. Lewandowski is absolutely innocent of this charge”, read the statement.
The state’s attorney’s office declined comment.
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“I never touched you”, he tweeted at Fields. The matter is now concluded.
