'Fearful for my safety': Women who accused Trump’s campaign chief of harassment speak out

31 August 2024

After President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump brought in a familiar face to help salvage his campaign: Corey Lewandowski. But the new Trump campaign chief is now facing a wave of scrutiny over his recent past.

A detailed Washington Post report shows that Lewandowski — who has been dogged by allegations of sexual harassment for years — is reigniting fear among the women who publicly accused him of battery and misconduct. One of those women is 35 year-old Trashelle Odom, who said Lewandowski made "multiple inappropriate, aggressive, violent and unwanted sexual comments" while sitting next to her at a 2021 charity dinner in Las Vegas.

Odom said that Lewandowski specifically boasted about the size of his genitalia and his sexual stamina and claimed his proximity to Trump gave him the ability to "destroy anyone." The Post reported that Lewandowski then "followed her around the hotel and made crude remarks about her body" before "throw[ing] a drink at her and call[ing] her stupid."

"I was intimidated and frightened and fearful for my safety," Odom — who at the time was married to Republican donor John Odom — told police.

Lewandowski was later charged with misdemeanor battery for the incident, and was forced out of his position as the head of a pro-Trump super PAC. However, he was eventually offered a deal by prosecutors in 2022 that he wouldn't have to actually plead guilty if he "agreed to pay a $1,000 fine, undergo impulse control training, serve 50 hours of community service and stay out of trouble for a year," according to Politico. Now, Odom says Lewandowski's new position atop Trump's 2024 campaign is a significant cause for concern.

“They just undid everything,” Odom told the Post. “I am very worried about his access to other women, and I am worried about the power the campaign is giving him over those women.”

Odom isn't Lewandowski's only accuser: Pro-Trump singer Joy Villa also accused him of groping her at a 2017 event. When she told him "I could report you for sexual harassment," Lewandowski reportedly responded: "Go ahead, I work in the private sector." She told the Post that she's still "definitely a Trumper" and doesn't want her allegations to harm Trump's chances of winning a second term, adding that her "Christian faith" led her to ultimately forgive Lewandowski.

Lewandowski coming back into Trump's inner circle suggests the candidate has since forgiven him for the incident that got him fired from his 2016 campaign. In March of that year, Lewandowski was arrested for simple battery after forcefully grabbing Breitbart reporter Michele Fields' arm when she approached Trump to ask him a question. Lewandowski grabbed Fields so hard that he apparently left bruises.

While his official title is "senior adviser," the New Republic reported that Lewandowski referred to himself as "campaign chairman" since he was hired. And the Guardian reported that Lewandowski's addition to the 2024 Trump campaign has prompted a "power struggle" between him and the two previous heads of the campaign, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles.

Trump has reportedly preferred Lewandowski's advice to "let Trump be Trump" as opposed to the counsel of LaCivita and Wiles, who have urged the GOP presidential nominee to stick to policy and avoid lobbing personal attacks. LaCivita in particular is a seasoned GOP campaigner, having crafted the "swift boat" attacks against 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry that attacked him for his military service.

Click here to read the Post's report in full (subscription required).

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