President Donald Trump's campaign will be forced to pay out $20,000, so far, in assault claims against his security staff during 2015 and 2016.
Politico reported Monday that after reviewing hundreds of pages of court documents and deposition statements, guards were given free rein during the campaign. Specifically naming Eddie Deck, Keith Schiller and Gary Uher, the report revealed several incidents in which protesters were removed from the sidewalk, Deck claimed Trump owned. Schiller was the one who removed Jorge Ramos from an Iowa event for asking the president about his accusation that Mexican immigrants were "rapists" and "murderers."
According to Schiller, Ramos was "not listening or not being cordial or respectful to Mr. Trump or his colleagues, because he spoke out of term (sic)."
Trump Organization executive Matthew Calamari tried to claim that the security personnel was "licensed as security guards by New York State," but the depositions from Uher, Schiller and others said that they were never licensed.
"The depositions paint a picture of a security operation guided more by instinct than procedures, where employees were not subject to background checks or regular evaluations, and where lines were blurred between Trump's campaign, his corporation and even the United States Secret Service," said Politico.
Schiller has been working at the Republican Party for years to organize the security for the 2020 Republican National Convention that never happened. He was being paid as much as $15,000 a month and his company was hired for $225,000 campaign finance documents showed.
The latest suit is one of three that is going through state or federal courts from protesters against Trump. The security team has been accused of "for excessive force and aggression, racial profiling and trampling free speech," Politico reported.
Schiller appeared to act as a bodyguard even after the Secret Service sent agents to protect Trump in November 2015. Schiller clashed with the USSS, a law enforcement official relayed from agents they know. Agency head Joseph Clancy disputed that, however.
That seems to come in conflict with depositions from Trump's guards. Deck claimed he became a "liaison with the police and Secret Service" after the agency took over protection. He also claimed that it was in conjunction with the Secret Service they both decided to cancel a Chicago Trump rally. "A Secret Service spokesperson said Deck was not involved in the agency's security planning or decision-making," Politico reported.
When Trump chanted "get 'em out!" at a March 2016 rally in Kentucky, his lawyers claimed, "Mr. Trump was calling on the Secret Service, event security, and local law enforcement to enforce the law and remove hecklers who were ruining the event for others."
That conflicts, again, with the USSS, which said that they don't suppress free speech if there is no physical threat to the protectee.
Kashiya Nwanguma was one of the people attacked at a Trump rally by Trump's supporters. Her lawyer explained that she wasn't removed by private security, Trump's staff "let this angry mob of white people attack this black person who was protesting."
Schiller stole a sign he didn't like from protesters outside of Trump Tower. The protester went after Schiller trying to get the sign back and Deck grabbed a protester around the neck, claiming he "assaulted Mr. Schiller"
Election financial filings show that Trump's campaign has spent more than $1 million on "private security" while being protected by the U.S. Secret Service. That includes $181,000 to Schiller and $50,000 to his company. Deck's company, XMark, who Uher also serves as VP for, has scored the most, however.
Private security dollars are paid when the president holds political rallies. Even if Secret Service agents are there to protect Trump, things like securing the building, guiding traffic and other things are paid for by the campaign. Trump's team, however, has refused to pay many of those bills. He currently owes, at last count, more than $2 million.
