Donald Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski will not be prosecuted on a charge of battery after he allegedly roughed up a female reporter trying to question the Republican presidential front-runner, authorities in Florida said Thursday.
"The evidence cannot prove all required elements of the crime alleged and is insufficient to support a criminal prosecution," prosecutors in Palm Beach County said in a statement.
At a press conference, State Attorney Dave Aronberg explained that he chose not to move ahead because the burden for his office to proceed with a case was higher than that of the police who originally charged Lewandowski,
The New York Times reported.
Last month, Lewandowski was slapped with a simple battery charge after Michelle Fields, then a reporter for Breitbart, accused him of grabbing her arm and yanking her away as she attempted to grill Trump at a campaign event in Jupiter.
Fields later posted a photo of her lower arm which featured a noticeable bruise. Lewandowski insisted he had never touched Fields and his claim was backed up by Trump.
The billionaire developer added that he considered filing charges against Fields because she touched his arm.
But a video of the incident showed that Lewandowski had, in fact, made contact with Fields and appeared to be yanking her away from Trump.
The video sparked of firestorm of criticism against Lewandowski and there were calls for his resignation. Trump has continued to stand behind him, but appears to have lessened his prominence in the campaign with the hiring of veteran political consultant Paul Manafort.
Fields quit her job at the conservative news website after it published an article that called her claim into question.
In a statement, the Trump campaign said that "Corey Lewandowski is gratified by the decision to drop the misdemeanor charge.
He also "appreciates the thoughtful consideration and professionalism by the Palm Beach State Attorney and his staff who carefully reviewed this matter, as well as Mr. Trump's loyalty and the support of his colleagues and family during this time," the statement added. "The matter is now concluded."
Brad Cohen, Lewandowski's attorney, said that he doesn't know what his client will do in light of news reports that Fields is threatening to sue both him and Trump for defamation.
"I think it was justifiable in what he did," Cohen told
CNN's Brooke Baldwin. "Ms. Fields sees it a different way, obviously. Other individuals that are kind of with Ms. Fields see it a different way.
"I don't find it to be that good of an idea to file a defamation claim on this kind of case. It opens up a very large door to your past.
"It opens up a large door to other things that can be going on," Cohen said. "I don't feel that it justifies it, but Ms. Fields is going to do what Ms. Fields wants to do."
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