A former staff member of Donald Trump's presidential campaign has sued him on Monday, 25 February, as she accused him of kissing her without her consent before a rally in Florida in 2016, as reported by Reuters.
In her lawsuit, Alva Johnson said that the alleged incident "was a part of a pattern of predatory and harassing behaviour towards women" by Trump.
Countering the allegations, White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders said, “The accusation is absurd on its face.”
"This never happened and is directly contradicted by multiple highly credible eye witness accounts," she added.
According to the lawsuit, the incident occurred inside a campaign RV before the rally on 24 August 2016. US president has denied many allegations levelled against him by a number of women who alleged that he had groped and kissed them without their consent over a period of years.
Johnson has alleged that Trump had gripped her by the hand and leaned in close, as per the lawsuit. She tried to avoid by turning her head but Trump had managed to kiss the corner of her mouth, the lawsuit claimed, as reported by Reuters.
'Seeking Financial Damage'
The lawsuit mentioned that the then-Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump's Florida campaign director Karen Giorno were present when the incident occurred.
Both of them told the Washington Post that they have seen nothing inappropriate. They said that Johnson is seeking financial damages and a court order that restricts Trump "from grabbing, kissing or otherwise assaulting or harassing women without prior excess consent."
Rejecting White House's denial, Hassan Zavereei, Johnson’s lawyer, told The New York Times that the incident was "distressing" to Johnson. He said that she had called her husband and parents right after it had happened.
According to The New York Times, the woman has also accused the president of discriminating against her by paying her less than her white and male colleagues.
(With inputs from Reuters, Washington Post and The New York Times)