Ex-President Donald Trump’s cronies supposedly knew about the sexual assault allegations against Trump-endorsed Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, according to ex-White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, who’s now working for Herbster’s campaign.
Conway recounted in a podcast interview with ex-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon on Saturday that Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) had told her about state Sen. Julie Slama (R) — who alleges that Herbster, the now-GOP candidate, reached up her skirt and touched her during a Republican event. Conway said the conversation with the governor happened about 10 months ago, describing it as combative.
According to Conway’s retelling, Ricketts brought up Slama’s allegations when the governor “got in my face” and pledged to “destroy” Herbster, she told Bannon.
The ex-Trump adviser then baselessly painted the allegations against Herbster, who’s also been accused of groping seven other women in addition to Slama, of being a hit job by Ricketts and his cronies who aren’t sufficiently loyal to Trumpism.
Conway claimed that Mark Meadows, Trump’s former White House chief of staff, was aware of the allegations against Herbster, too.
“They were shopping this around for a very long time. We know that as fact,” Conway said. “Mark Meadows told Charles Herbster last year, ‘Be careful, because I heard that they’re gonna try to come after you with some kind of sexual allegation.'”
To be clear, this all according to Conway, who, as a member of Herbster’s campaign could very well have damage control motives. It’s unclear if or when Meadows had that particular conversation with Herbster, but Conway’s supposed discussion with Ricketts 10 months ago came before Trump endorsed Herbster in October last year.
Ricketts, who is term-limited, endorsed Jim Pillen as his replacement in the GOP primary in January.
Ricketts condemned Herbster after the Nebraska Examiner first reported on the allegations from Slama and seven other women earlier this month, but nobody on Herbster’s team has provided evidence to back up Conway’s theory that the governor was out to get the candidate.
Additionally, three people come forward last week to corroborate the allegations on the record.
Herbster, who is suing Slama over her accusation, has denied the allegations and claims that he has a stellar rapport with females, ladies and women.
“I could bring you literally hundreds of females across this country who would attest to my integrity in the way that I have empowered and worked with ladies and worked with women to be in executive positions in companies and build businesses,” the candidate told the Omaha World-Herald last week.
Trump, who’s been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, including at least one allegations of rape, plans to hold a rally for Herbster in Nebraska on Friday.
