Donald Trump Campaign Manager Arrested? Corey Lewandowski Charged With Misdemeanor Battery On Reporter Michelle Fields

UPDATE: 1:45 p.m. EDT — A spokeswoman for Donald Trump said Corey Lewandowski, the Republican presidential candidate's campaign manager, would not lose his job even if found guilty of assaulting a reporter. Katrina Pierson suggested in an appearance on CNN Tuesday afternoon that reporters should be limited in the type of access they have to the candidates and their staffs.

Lewandowski was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor assault for allegedly yanking the arm of reporter Michelle Fields following a Trump rally in Jupiter, Florida, on March 8. Trump has defended Lewandowski and said there was "nothing there" despite the local police releasing footage that appears to offer evidence to the contrary.

Fields, who has since resigned from her post at Breitbart News, responded to Trump's denial, saying he was lying and that "my story never changed."

Original story:

Police charged Donald Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski with misdemeanor battery Tuesday for an incident with then-Breitbart News Network reporter Michelle Fields at a rally March 8. Lewandowski was arrested in Jupiter, Florida, upon turning himself in around 8 a.m. EDT, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Fields said Lewandowski forcefully grabbed her at the campaign event in Jupiter, bruising her arm. Lewandowski has denied the allegation, both off- and online, while inconclusive video footage of the rally appears to show Lewandowski reaching for Fields.

A Trump campaign statement cited by Reuters reasserted Lewandowski’s innocence. “Mr. Lewandowski is absolutely innocent of this charge,” the campaign of the front-runner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination said in the statement. It added: “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.”

Fields said she first felt her arm get yanked and then caught herself from almost falling, according to a police report posted to the verified Twitter account of a journalist at the Washington Post. The Jupiter Police Department also obtained video footage captured by security cameras at the event, reportedly showing the assault.

A Politico investigation pointed to Lewandowski’s purportedly long history of aggressive behavior, as well as supposed sexual harassment directed at women in the workplace. At least 20 sources who had worked with Lewandowski, either on the Trump campaign or formerly at the Koch brothers-backed advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, confirmed what they characterized as a checkered history of behavior in the workplace. Anonymous colleagues said he had previously assaulted reporters and made lewd comments to women journalists, while frequently bullying peers in the office.

The misdemeanor battery charge was leveled amid increasing reports of violence at Trump’s campaign rallies, reportedly involving both the presidential candidate’s security team members and his supporters.

Fields and a Breitbart editor resigned from the conservative news organization less than a week after the incident. “Today I informed the management at Breitbart News of my immediate resignation,” Politico quoted Fields as saying in a statement at the time. “I do not believe Breitbart News has adequately stood by me during the events of the past week, and because of that I believe it is now best for us to part ways.”