GOP volunteer who stepped on protester faces court

>>> last night supporters. kentucky 's publg senate candidate rand paul attacked a supporter from moveon.org. they dragged her to the ground. then the coordinator for the campaign stepped on her head. in our fourth story, the victim will join us in a moment. meantime the paul campaign makes its slow progression from one accept ever unacceptable reaction statement to another. it happened in election election before the debate between paul and jack conway of kentucky . [ yelling ]

>> get the cops!

>> get the police . get the police . get the police .

>> no, no, no.

>> today tim profit, the bourbon county coordinator for paul admitted that he was the one who stomped on the woman's head. his nonapology apology includes this. i'm sorry that it came to that and i apologize if it appeared overly forceful but i was concerned about rand's safety. mr. profit also said the camera angle made it appear worse than it was and he criticized the police for not stepping in. the police have now issued a criminal summons for him to appear in court where a judge will decide if charges are warranted. the second attacker, the one most responsible for wrestling his valley to the ground has been identified on the blogosphere but we're awaiting formal confer playing of his identity. the fact that he is so central to the camp that it touted his endorsement. the ad appeared today. the first come on it trying to blame both sides. we understand there was an altercation outside the debate between the supporters of both sides. speaking for himself today, mr. paul did not fare much better.

>> what was your reaction that folks who were wearing rand paul t-shirts and hats treated this woman this way?

>> we want everybody to be civil. we want this issue, the campaign to be about issues. we'll tell you that when we arrive, there was enormous passion on both sides. it really was something where you walk into a daze of lights flashing, people yelling and screaming, bumping up and there was a crowd control problem. i don't want anyone to be involved in thing that aren't civil. i think this should be about the issues. and it is an unusual situation to have so many people so passionate on both sides jockeying back and forth. and it wasn't something that i liked or anybody liked about that situation. so i hope in the future it will be better.

>> the paul campaign released yet another statement this afternoon. the campaign, quote, is extremely disappointed in and condemns the action of a sport. the paul campaign has disassociated it southwesterly the volunteer and once again urge all activists on both sides to remember that their political passions should never manifest themselves in physical altercations of any kind. joining me now as promised, lauren valley from moveon.org.

>> thanks for having me.

>> how are you feeling?

>> i'm pretty sore. i have a little headache but i'm doing okay though.

>> tell us what you were trying to do before what was captured on videotape and then what happened?

>> sure. i've been in kentucky for the past two week working on a project original a moveon project called republican core. it is a fictional conglomeration between the republican party and corporate america and i should say satirical. it is not really fiction. the conglomeration was formed by a merger. the official merger between the republican party and corporate america . i've been in kentucky running events as an executive. we've been, we were at a previous debate. i've been in town raising awareness about the citizens united decision and how that has impacted corporate's funding in this election cycle, particularly in kentucky .

>> so what was happening just before the videotape? you were trying to do what as you moved into that crowd?

>> just before the tape, i was identified by the rand paul campaign . they've seen me around town at these events and they realize that had they know me because of my work and they don't support it. and so they actually formed a blockade around me once they realized that i was there. and as rand's car pulls up, they step in front of me and start to block me. so i stepped off the curb to try and get around them. and at that point they pursued me around the car, chagsed me around the car and what you see in the video is when i'm in the front of the car. that's when i'm pulled down. and then my head is stomped on.

>> so you were not mistaken for some sort of threat to mr. paul 's safety? before the tape rolls, they know who you are and what you're trying to do?

>> yeah. it was premeditated myself partner alex who was with me heard them behind us say, we're here to do crowd control and we might have to take someone out.

>> also the police report afterwards did confirm that there was no justification for what the supporters did. the wig was because of what? why were you wearing a wig?

>> part of our tactic with republican corps is to be the executive. i've been in costume all week. we filmed videos. and we do events in character. so i've been in different characters all week for the past two week. that was me being an executive.

>> why do we here that tape paul supporters, and this mr. profit calling for the police ?

>> i think because i'm being tackled to the ground. you know, i think i would be calling for the police if i was witnessing that as well. clearly, i'm being injured.

>> do you plan to pursue charges on this? what is the status of this case as you understand it?

>> we are proceeding with legal work the legal process . as far as i know there has been a summons issued and there will be a court date set. i plan to see the process through. i think that it is very important that people be held responsible for this sort of behavior.

>> this is really an aside but it is too ironic to not let pass. and i know if you can answer this, you have other thing to be concerned about at the time. it appears as if the man who actually threw you to the ground was wearing a don't tread on me button. could you see, is that true?

>> well, i couldn't see much at all at the time. but i think that's true. and you know, i think that what is important to say since we're all so concerned about freedom is that none of us can be free if some of us are oppressed.

>> the paul campaign , mr. paul himself, in that really inarticulate statement have implied that you or other so-called activists have done something wrong here. how do you respond to that?

>> you know, they're really concerned with the constitution and my first amendment right is freedom of speech and that's what i was exercising. i was there with a sign. and simply wanted to have that sign be seen like hundreds of other people that were at the event. so i can't really see anything wrong with that.

>> so that brings to us a concluding question. you were not trying to hand anything to rand paul . you were not trying to get to rand paul . you just wanted to hold up a sign?

>> i wanted him to see it. part of what we do is get tit in the same shot. i was holding the employee of the month award as part of our satire. so i was interested in him seeing and it getting a shot. but noticed intention of harming him. contacting him at all.

>> lauren valle of moveon. we're glad you're okay, relatively speaking

View the original article here