A reporter is claiming Omarosa Manigault, director for the White House’s Office of Public Liaison, “physically intimidated” her just feet from the Oval Office.
April Ryan, White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, is alleging the former “Apprentice” contestant got into a heated argument with her last week. Ryan also said Manigault warned her about “dossiers” of embarrassing information the administration had collected about her and other African-American journalists it deemed to be possible problems for them.
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These alleged files would be in addition to a list that Manigault last year said Trump was keeping of his political opponents.
Witnesses vouched for Ryan, telling the Washington Post the incident took place outside press secretary Sean Spicer’s office last Wednesday.
Post reporter Abby Phillips, who witnessed the altercation with her colleague, said the encounter was serious enough that law enforcement could have been called to the scene.
“She stood right in my face like she was going to hit me,” Ryan said. “I said, ‘You better back up.’ … She thought I would be bullied. I won’t be.”
Last fall, Manigault emailed Ryan, claiming she was in cahoots with Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Ryan denied it and said she was not paid by the Democratic presidential nominee. Manigault persisted, telling Ryan to protect her legacy, which Ryan viewed as a threat to her career.
