Former campaign staffer files discrimination complaint against presidential candidate

chika ebuzor

February 1, 2016 7:46 AM

She claimed her requests to plan and speak at Trump's campaign rallies were ignored while her male peers were allowed to do so.

Trump pulls out of Republican debate in Iowa

A 26-year-old former campaign staffer for Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has accused the campaign of sex discrimination, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

Elizabeth Mae Davidson, who worked as an organizer in Iowa for the New York businessman, filed a complaint with the Davenport, Iowa, Civil Rights Commission, claiming female staffers were paid less than male staffers, according to the report.

She claimed her requests to plan and speak at Trump's campaign rallies were ignored while her male peers were allowed to do so, it said.

Davidson also claimed that Trump had addressed her and a young female volunteer with a remark that referred to the women's appearances, saying "you guys could do a lot of damage," the Times report said.

According to the Times, Trump, in an interview on Sunday, denied having made the remark to the two women. He did not address the other two allegations, the Times said, and he said he did not remember Davidson but had been told she had done "a terrible job" while working on the campaign.

Davidson, who was fired on Jan. 14, and her lawyer Dorothy O'Brien did not respond to requests for comment.

Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump, said the campaign had not been notified that a complaint had been filed.

"These claims from a disgruntled former part-time employee are without merit," Hicks said. "She is in violation of her contract and continues to disparage the campaign with falsehoods, which, in addition to doing a terrible job, is why she was terminated weeks ago."

chika ebuzor