(CNN) Donald Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was arrested and charged in Jupiter, Florida, with simple battery of former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields, according to police.
The Jupiter Police Department told CNN that Lewandowski was arrested Tuesday morning after turning himself in on the misdemeanor charge of simple battery.
They said Lewandowski has been released and his initial court appearance is scheduled for May 4. The department also released new video that shows the alleged incident from an overhead angle.
Campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks and one of Lewandowski’s lawyers, Scott Richardson, both released a statement Tuesday saying Lewandowski is “absolutely innocent of this charge,” and will plead not guilty.
“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,” the statement said.
The arrest of Lewandowski, known for his brash style and for being fiercely loyal to Trump, immediately raised fresh questions about his future with the Trump campaign. Trump currently has a sizable lead in the delegate race and is hoping to clinch the party’s nomination outright. With a “Never Trump” campaign effort aimed at stopping the GOP front-runner gaining steam, the latest development will only fuel Trump’s critics and serve as another distraction for the New York billionaire, who has moved from one controversy after another to this election cycle.
Trump came to Lewandowski’s defense on Tuesday, tweeting that his campaign manager is a “very decent man” and there’s “nothing there” in new video tapes of the incident released by Jupiter police.
