MINOT, N.D. — Last week, the wife of a major supporter of Donald Trump alleged that the former president's advisor Corey Lewandowski sexually harassed her during an event in Las Vegas .
Today, I bring you the police report of the incident filed by Trashelle Odom and obtained by The Daily Mail.
Be cautioned before reading, my friends, because it's a wild ride.
Odom alleges that Lewandowski bragged about the size of his genitalia, claimed to have committed multiple murders in Massachusetts (I'm not kidding), and harassed her so obnoxiously that no less a personage than Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota tried to intervene.
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The police report is a harrowing read. Odom recounts a prolonged campaign of touching and inappropriate comments by Lewandowski — at one point, the man, whose room was apparently near Odom's, was said to be pacing angrily outside her door — all while reassured by other Trump-world figures that this is just something Lewandowski does.
"Corey is always like this," Odom says another event attendee told her.
"Corey does this a lot," yet another attendee said according to the report filed with the police.
Pause here to consider that Lewandowski was a key advisor to the president of the United States, a man who, unfortunately, at this early stage, is the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024.
Is Odom telling the truth? Her report to the police is just one side of the story, to be sure, though it's thorough and detailed in ways that should be easy to dismiss if it's a work of fiction. Also, remember that filing a false police report is a crime. There are some genuine consequences for Odom if this report is in any way an act of fabulism.
I don't believe it is.
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Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Odom's report, to people in our region, is its mention of Gov. Kristi Noem .
After getting the full Lewandowski experience at the Benihana (yes, that's where they were), Odom went to the reception for the charity event that brought her and Lewandowski and Noem to Las Vegas. Odom had just been named to the board of this charity. This was to be her first event. She didn't want to miss it, despite all that had already happened to her.
At the reception, she saw Noem, who told her she had been texting Lewandowski asking him to knock it off with the touching.
Let's, again, pause to reflect: This harassment was so brazen, the governor of South Dakota felt the need to intervene.
Kind of.
According to Odom's report, after Noem related her admonitions, Lewandowski showed up again, this time demanding a tour of the event from Odom, which she declined. Lewandowski then continued his harassment for a while before both he and Noem left.
Later, Odom received a call from another event attendee who claimed that Lewandowski had groped her backside. Again, Odom names this person, and her report should be easy enough to verify.
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Where does this leave us?
Tim Miller, writing for The Bulwark , provides a concise summary: "In the report it is alleged that Donald Trump's 2016 campaign manager, a man who has been accused publicly of assaulting women on at least two occasions, is widely known within the upper echelons of the Trump donor world as a belligerent harasser and that he claims to have a violent past that includes committing multiple homicides."
Among the people aware of Lewandowski's behavior is Noem, who is close to Lewandowski and was his client until recently.
Lewandowski is, first and foremost, responsible for Lewandowski's behavior. Still, at what point do those around him, those familiar with his behaviors, those who continue to support President Grab 'em By The P----, despite the many revelations we've had about his behaviors, also share in the blame?
I think we're well past that point now.
It doesn't surprise me in the least that one of the key figures in Trump World is apparently a lecherous, self-aggrandizing, potentially dangerous lout.
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At this point, why would we expect anything different from that crowd?
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Rob Port, founder of SayAnythingBlog.com, is a Forum Communications commentator. Reach him on Twitter at @robport or via email at rport@forumcomm.com .
