Ex-Staffer Alleges Trump Camp Didn’t Act After Another Staffer Pulled Gun

Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump walks to the stage during first day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Monday, July 18, 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher)
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Late Update 3:19 p.m.: Earl Phillip has resigned

A former staffer for Donald Trump’s campaign in North Carolina is alleging in a lawsuit that the campaign improperly handled a case in which another staffer pulled a gun on him, local TV station WBTV first reported.

The suit obtained by WBTV was filed Wednesday by Vincent Bordini in Mecklenburg County Superior Court in North Carolina. It names Donald J. Trump For President, Inc, and former state director Earl Phillip as defendants.

The suit alleges that on Feb. 13, ”Bordini and Phillip were driving in Phillip’s Jeep when Phillip ‘produced a pistol, put his right index finger on the trigger, and drove the barrel into Vincent’s knee cap.”

“Phillip pushed the barrel into Vincent’s knee. The barrel’s pressure crinkled Vincent’s blue jeans. Phillip ominously stared sidewise at Vincent while driving the Jeep down the road and the barrel into Vincent,” the complaint read. “Vincent froze. Phillip’s gun was loaded and the safety was off. A bump in the road would likely result in a bullet hole, and worse, in Vincent’s knee.”

The suit states that Bordini then went immediately to Trump’s regional director for Western Carolina and reported the incident. The director then allegedly
told Bordini that he also had a similar experience with Phillip. The suit alleges Bordini then reported the incident to Trump’s national field director, Stuart Jolly, and “nothing happened.”

Bordini next brought the matter to Trump’s campaign manager at the time, Corey Lewandowski, and the complaint again alleges nothing happened and Phillip remained with the Trump campaign.

According to the complaint, Bordini was a “passionate Donald J. Trump supporter. He decided that putting his head down and soldiering on was the best thing he could do for Mr. Trump. He had faith the Trump campaign would handle the situation internally.”

He ultimately resigned from the campaign on March 12. Bordini alleges
“assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress” in the suit.

The Trump campaign nor Earl Phillip responded to WBTV’s request for comment.

Read the full court document:

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