Trump campaign manager charged with battery

Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, has been charged with battery for allegedly grabbing former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields, local police said Tuesday morning.

The Jupiter, Fla., Police Department said Lewandowski has been charged with one count of simple battery for “intentionally” touching Fields. 

{mosads}Video released by the police department appears to show Lewandowski reaching his left hand toward Fields between Trump and a security guard, holding her back as the GOP presidential candidate passes and then following Trump through the room. The footage can be seen above.

According to local reports, Lewandowski turned himself in to police on Tuesday morning.

Police issued Lewandowski a notice to appear in court May 4.

Police obtained security footage on March 12, four days after the press conference at Trump National Golf Club, where Fields says Lewandowski grabbed her arm, leaving bruising, according to a police document provided to The Hill.

Washington Post reporter Ben Terris, who was standing near Fields when the incident took place, has backed up Fields’s description of events. Audio of the incident had also emerged.

Trump insisted in a tweet Tuesday afternoon that the video shows “nothing there.”

Wow, Corey Lewandowski, my campaign manager and a very decent man, was just charged with assaulting a reporter. Look at tapes-nothing there!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2016

Trump’s campaign said in a statement that Lewandowski was issued a formal notice to appear and given a court date, adding that “he was not arrested.”

“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,” Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks said in the statement.

The text of the arrest report for Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, charged with battery of @MichelleFields pic.twitter.com/qWF03nage5

— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) March 29, 2016

The Trump campaign has been steadfast in denying Fields’s allegations, which included a tweet showing apparent bruising on her arm.

I guess these just magically appeared on me @CLewandowski_ @realDonaldTrump. So weird. pic.twitter.com/oD8c4D7tw3

— Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) March 10, 2016

Lewandowski also lashed out at her on Twitter, saying he had never met the reporter.

@MichelleFields you are totally delusional. I never touched you. As a matter of fact, I have never even met you.

— Corey Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) March 11, 2016

In an apparent show of support, Trump had Lewandowski stand beside him on stage when he gave his victory speech after winning Florida’s primary earlier this month, just days after Fields filed her criminal complaint.

Fields, along with an editor and a spokesman, later resigned from Breitbart after the site published a story challenging her description of the incident.

The spokesman, Kurt Bardella, said Breitbart’s report that Lewandowski hadn’t touched Fields was a lie.

Updated at 12:43 p.m.