Trump PAC Fires Corey Lewandowski for Allegedly Being as Big a Sleazebag as the Ex-President

One thing you’ve no doubt picked up on over the last five or so years is that Donald Trump almost exclusively surrounds himself with scumbags, despite bold claims to the contrary. More than half a dozen of his advisers have been indicted on federal charges, and that doesn‘t even count people like Rudy Giuliani, who is under investigation for his Ukraine dealings; his son-in-law’s father who he pardoned for illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering; Jeffrey Epstein, who Trump previously palled around with and told New York was a “terrific guy” and “a lot of fun to be with”; and so many others.

One of those other people is Corey Lewandowski, who served as Trump’s original campaign manager before being fired in June 2016 after “a series of incidents that the Trump family worried had cast the candidate in a negative light,” presumably including forcibly grabbing a reporter by the arm and a protester by the collar, reportedly calling a coworker a “fucking bitch,” and screaming at a staffer for visiting his dying grandmother as her Last Rites were being administered. Like a moth to a flame, though, Trump couldn’t stay away and, according to The New York Times, just one month later was “reaching out to Mr. Lewandowski again, and he was soon back in the fold.” In the ensuing years, Lewandowski cemented his reputation as a thoroughly despicable human being, from mocking a migrant girl with Down syndrome who had been taken from her mother thanks to the administration’s family separation policy to, according to a police complaint, slapping a woman on the butt at a party at Trump’s D.C. hotel. (It’s unclear what became of that complaint.)

All of which was apparently fine and dandy with Trump and company, given that, until earlier this week Lewandowski was serving as the chairman of the MAGA Action PAC. On Wednesday, though, he was once again fired, this time for allegedly making unwanted sexual advances toward a Trump donor. Per the Politico:

Trashelle Odom, the wife of Idaho construction executive John Odom, alleges that Lewandowski repeatedly touched her, including on her leg and buttocks, and spoke to her in sexually graphic terms. Odom said that Lewandowski “stalked” her throughout the evening. Four people who were first-hand witnesses at the event corroborated Odom’s allegations. Politico also spoke with two people—one who was at the event and another who was not—who described conversations they had with Odom about the incidents immediately after they happened.

“On the evening of September 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada, I attended a dinner to support a charity and spend time with wonderful friends,” Odom said in a statement to Politico. “He repeatedly touched me inappropriately, said vile and disgusting things to me, stalked me, and made me feel violated and fearful,” she said, referring to Lewandowski.

Mr. Lewandowski has not commented on the allegations, and his lawyer, David Chesnoff, told the Times that “accusations and rumor appear to be morphing by the minute and we will not dignify them with a further response.” In a statement, Taylor Budowich, a spokesperson for Trump, said, “Corey Lewandowski will be going on to other endeavors and we very much want to thank him for his service. He will no longer be associated with Trump World.” He added that Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and Trump adviser will now oversee the PAC.

As for whether or not Lewandowski has actually been permanently banned from Trumpworld, the Times notes that it’s not at all certain, given how quickly he was brought back into the fold after being fired in 2016. Aides to the ex-president insist that this time is “different, particularly because it involves a donor to the former president.” On the other hand, Trump himself has been accused by more than two dozen women of equally vile behavior, so perhaps it’ll soon be water under the bridge. (Trump, of course, has denied everything.)

In other Lewandowski news, it appears that man has been busy. Per The Washington Post:

South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R) on Wednesday dismissed a conservative media outlet’s claim that she is having an extramarital affair with Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump adviser who is also advising Noem. “These rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie,” Noem said in a tweet. “These old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can’t achieve anything without a man’s help. I love Bryon. I’m proud of the God-fearing family we’ve raised together. Now I’m getting back to work.”

A conservative website, American Greatness, published a piece Tuesday claiming that, according to “multiple” sources, Noem has been having an affair with Lewandowski “for months.” The website did not identify any of the sources.