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| Trump campaign police advocate fired from airline job after criminal charge | Trump campaign police advocate fired from airline job after criminal charge |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Donald Trump’s campaign chairman for police supporters in a key swing state, who was also a pilot for the Republican presidential campaign, has been fired from his job after the Guardian disclosed that he is charged with a violent crime. | Donald Trump’s campaign chairman for police supporters in a key swing state, who was also a pilot for the Republican presidential campaign, has been fired from his job after the Guardian disclosed that he is charged with a violent crime. |
| Vincent Caldara, a retired police officer and chair of Trump’s Florida law enforcement coalition, will no longer fly vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence to rallies across the US. He is accused of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. | Vincent Caldara, a retired police officer and chair of Trump’s Florida law enforcement coalition, will no longer fly vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence to rallies across the US. He is accused of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. |
| Caldara, 55, allegedly drove his car at a man repeatedly, knocking the man to the ground, causing him severe physical injuries and leaving him with more than $200,000 of medical bills. Caldara has pleaded not guilty. | Caldara, 55, allegedly drove his car at a man repeatedly, knocking the man to the ground, causing him severe physical injuries and leaving him with more than $200,000 of medical bills. Caldara has pleaded not guilty. |
| He is also accused of seriously injuring a woman by recklessly driving his Harley-Davidson motorcycle into her, in a separate incident. The woman has sued Caldara, but according to court filings, officials have been unable to locate him to serve him with legal papers. | |
| Eastern Air Lines, the Miami-based company that supplies Pence’s campaign plane and pilots, confirmed Caldara’s departure. | Eastern Air Lines, the Miami-based company that supplies Pence’s campaign plane and pilots, confirmed Caldara’s departure. |
| “Mr Caldara is no longer employed by Eastern Air Lines. We wish him well in his future endeavors,” chief executive Ed Wegel said in an email. “Eastern has no further comment on this to respect everyone’s privacy.” | “Mr Caldara is no longer employed by Eastern Air Lines. We wish him well in his future endeavors,” chief executive Ed Wegel said in an email. “Eastern has no further comment on this to respect everyone’s privacy.” |
| After refusing for several days to answer questions about Caldara, the Trump campaign moved to distance itself from him. | After refusing for several days to answer questions about Caldara, the Trump campaign moved to distance itself from him. |
| “Mr Caldara is not a paid employee of the Trump campaign nationally or in the state of Florida,” said Marc Lotter, Pence’s press secretary. | “Mr Caldara is not a paid employee of the Trump campaign nationally or in the state of Florida,” said Marc Lotter, Pence’s press secretary. |
| Lotter and other campaign spokespeople repeatedly declined to say whether Caldara remained part of Trump’s Florida law enforcement coalition. But references to his involvement, such as a video clip that showed him opening a Trump campaign office in the city of Cocoa Beach earlier this month, where he addressed supporters, have been removed from the Florida Trump campaign’s Facebook page. | Lotter and other campaign spokespeople repeatedly declined to say whether Caldara remained part of Trump’s Florida law enforcement coalition. But references to his involvement, such as a video clip that showed him opening a Trump campaign office in the city of Cocoa Beach earlier this month, where he addressed supporters, have been removed from the Florida Trump campaign’s Facebook page. |
| “Donald Trump and Governor Mike Pence are the law and order candidates,” Caldara told supporters at the Cocoa Beach event. “And if that is the direction you want our country to go in, then you know who you need to vote for on 8 November.” | “Donald Trump and Governor Mike Pence are the law and order candidates,” Caldara told supporters at the Cocoa Beach event. “And if that is the direction you want our country to go in, then you know who you need to vote for on 8 November.” |
| Caldara did not respond to several emails seeking comment. | Caldara did not respond to several emails seeking comment. |
| Last Monday, Caldara stood directly behind Trump at a campaign rally in Fort Myers. As the Republican nominee praised law enforcement, Caldara took from his pocket what appeared to be a gold-colored law enforcement badge, and flashed it at the television cameras. | Last Monday, Caldara stood directly behind Trump at a campaign rally in Fort Myers. As the Republican nominee praised law enforcement, Caldara took from his pocket what appeared to be a gold-colored law enforcement badge, and flashed it at the television cameras. |
| Caldara worked as a police officer in New York and Miami but is no longer employed by a law enforcement agency. | Caldara worked as a police officer in New York and Miami but is no longer employed by a law enforcement agency. |
| Police and court documents newly obtained by the Guardian provide more detail on Caldara’s alleged battery of a business associate in July last year. The associate, Jeff Shanley, told police that Caldara struck him following a heated argument at their workplace. | Police and court documents newly obtained by the Guardian provide more detail on Caldara’s alleged battery of a business associate in July last year. The associate, Jeff Shanley, told police that Caldara struck him following a heated argument at their workplace. |
| “Mr Shanley stated he stood in front of Mr Caldara’s vehicle as he attempted to leave,” according to the original police report. “Mr Shanley stated that Mr Caldara started that vehicle, then drove forward and bumped Mr Shanley. | “Mr Shanley stated he stood in front of Mr Caldara’s vehicle as he attempted to leave,” according to the original police report. “Mr Shanley stated that Mr Caldara started that vehicle, then drove forward and bumped Mr Shanley. |
| “Mr Shanley stated that he said to Mr Caldara, ‘Come on, what are you doing?’ Mr Caldara then drove forward again, thus striking Mr Shanley hard, knocking him to the ground. Mr Shanley got to his knees and was struck again by Mr Caldara’s vehicle, knocking him down again.” | |
| Shanley, who according to the police report was screaming, ended up under the front section of Caldara’s dark blue 2002 Ford Crown Victoria. He was taken by emergency responders to North Broward medical center for treatment. A witness told police he called 911 after seeing Shanley struck by Caldara’s vehicle for the final time. | Shanley, who according to the police report was screaming, ended up under the front section of Caldara’s dark blue 2002 Ford Crown Victoria. He was taken by emergency responders to North Broward medical center for treatment. A witness told police he called 911 after seeing Shanley struck by Caldara’s vehicle for the final time. |
| Shanley, now 53, underwent two surgeries following the alleged assault. He received a spinal stimulator and a fusion of his right hand, which he is now unable to bend. | Shanley, now 53, underwent two surgeries following the alleged assault. He received a spinal stimulator and a fusion of his right hand, which he is now unable to bend. |
| Caldara also faced accusations of wrongdoing while serving as a police officer. In Cop Without a Badge, a nonfiction book published in 1996, the Emmy-winning writer Charles Kipps alleged that as a young New York police officer, Caldara paid a $20,000 cash bribe to the attorney of a senior NYPD official in order to avoid losing his job for misconduct. | Caldara also faced accusations of wrongdoing while serving as a police officer. In Cop Without a Badge, a nonfiction book published in 1996, the Emmy-winning writer Charles Kipps alleged that as a young New York police officer, Caldara paid a $20,000 cash bribe to the attorney of a senior NYPD official in order to avoid losing his job for misconduct. |
| Kipps’s book alleged that in 1982, Caldara angrily pursued a taxi and pointed his gun at the driver after the driver cut in front of him and almost struck his car. Caldara was said to have been driving in Queens while off duty. | Kipps’s book alleged that in 1982, Caldara angrily pursued a taxi and pointed his gun at the driver after the driver cut in front of him and almost struck his car. Caldara was said to have been driving in Queens while off duty. |
| “A passenger in the back of the cab screamed at me: ‘Hey! You can’t pull your gun on him!’,” the book quoted Caldara as saying. “So I pointed the gun in the backseat and said: ‘Shut the fuck up.’” | “A passenger in the back of the cab screamed at me: ‘Hey! You can’t pull your gun on him!’,” the book quoted Caldara as saying. “So I pointed the gun in the backseat and said: ‘Shut the fuck up.’” |
| The passenger turned out to be a former member of Congress, according to the book, and filed a complaint that left Caldara facing possible termination. Having spent time on “modified assignment”, however, he was reportedly reinstated after paying the bribe. | The passenger turned out to be a former member of Congress, according to the book, and filed a complaint that left Caldara facing possible termination. Having spent time on “modified assignment”, however, he was reportedly reinstated after paying the bribe. |
| Caldara did not respond to questions about the accuracy of the book. | Caldara did not respond to questions about the accuracy of the book. |