In 1996 Trump’s Campaign Chairman Was Charged With Domestic Violence and Battery

Wife Claimed ‘Bannon Instructed Her to Leave Town to Avoid Testifying’

Stephen Bannon, now the chairman of the Donald Trump for President campaign, already a highly controversial figure, faced domestic violence charges in 1996, which were dropped only after his then-wife, Mary Louise Piccard, did not show up in court. 

The New York Times reports that police and court records show “allegations that he threatened his then wife, the accuser, with retribution if she testified in the criminal case” against him.

In a disturbing report, the Times states Bannon “was charged in February 1996 with domestic violence, battery and attempting to dissuade a victim from reporting a crime, but the case was dropped when Ms. Piccard did not show up in court. In court records, Ms. Piccard later claimed that Mr. Bannon instructed her to leave town to avoid testifying.”

Mr. Bannon, she said, told her that “if I went to court he and his attorney would make sure that I would be the one who was guilty.”

Mr. Bannon’s lawyer, she said, “threatened me,” telling her that if Mr. Bannon went to jail, she “would have no money and no way to support the children.”

Ms. Piccard said that she complied, fleeing with the two children she shares with Mr. Bannon until his “attorney phoned me and told me I could come back.”

Bannon is the third person to run Trump’s campaign. The first, Corey Lewandowski, also faced charges of violence, from a reporter, ironically, who was employed by Breitbart News, a far-right wing website then headed by Bannon. Trump’s second campaign chief, Paul Manafort, left after his ties to Russia and Ukraine politicians became too controversial. Reports state Manafort is being investigated by the federal government over those dealings.

 

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