CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ A former Charlotte staffer for Donald Trump's presidential campaign alleged in a lawsuit Thursday that Trump's then-state director pulled a gun on him, and campaign officials ignored pleas to do something about it.
Vincent Bordini filed the suit in Mecklenburg County Superior Court against Charlottean Earl Phillip and the Trump campaign. Phillip was replaced this month as Trump's state director.
Bordini, described in the suit as "a passionate Donald J. Trump supporter," claims to have described the February incident to then-Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
Bordini, 41, claims he was hired by the campaign as a software trainer in December 2015. On Feb. 13, during the South Carolina primary, he says he was with Phillip and got in Phillip's Jeep outside a Greenville S.C. hotel.
"All of a sudden, Vincent saw Phillip pull a gun out from his side of the Jeep," the suit says. "It was a .45 caliber pistol. It was loaded... Phillip then moved the gun toward Vincent. He pointed it at, and then placed the barrel on, Vincent's left knee cap...
"Vincent froze. Philip's gun was loaded and the safety was off. A bump in the road would likely result in a bullet hole, and worse, in Vincent's knee. Once the initial shock wore off, Vincent said, 'What the f _ are you doing?'"
The suit alleges that Bordini learned of "at least four other" people on whom Phillip pulled a gun. He said he alerted Trump campaign staffers including Lewandowski and Stuart Jolly, Trump's national field director.
Phillip said Thursday that he's hired a lawyer. He also said he's "officially stepped down" from positions in the Trump organization. Phillip, who was replaced as state director this month by Jason Simmons, has said he was then working in Trump's minority outreach effort.
Bordini could not be reached.
