The Washington Post has reported that Alva Johnson, a former campaign staffer during Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, has levied a lawsuit against the 45th President for allegedly kissing her without her consent.
According to Johnson’s account, the non-consensual kiss took place during a rally in Tampa, Florida in August 2016. While Trump was leaving his RV, he grabbed her hand and kissed her unexpectedly near her mouth. She claims to have turned her head just in time so he wouldn’t kiss her directly on the lips.
Recalling the event, Johnson remembered, “ He’s coming straight for my lips. So I turn my head, and he kisses me right on corner of my mouth, still holding my hand the entire time. Then he walks on out. I immediately felt violated because I wasn’t expecting it or wanting it. I can still see his lips coming straight for my face.”
“I’ve tried to let it go,” she said, as she began to cry. “You want to move on with your life. I don’t sleep. I wake up at 4 in the morning looking at the news. I feel guilty. The only thing I did was show up for work one day.”
The Post also reports that Johnson told her boyfriend, mother and stepfather about the alleged kiss on the day that it occurred. All three of these accounts have been confirmed to The Post. Two months later, Johnson consulted a Florida attorney; he gave The Post text messages showing that he considered her “credible” but did not take her case for business reasons. The attorney gave Johnson the name of a therapist, whose notes, which The Post reviewed, reference an unspecified event during the campaign that had left her distraught.
Johnson filed the lawsuit on Monday (February 25th) in federal court. Additionally, to her sexual misconduct claims, she also claims that she was compensated was less than her White male colleagues while working on the campaign trail.
The White House has denied all charges.
