Donald Trump has been repeatedly accused of sexism, after calling women “slobs,” “bimbos,” “ugly,” “disgusting,” objectifying them, and generally commenting on their appearance and bodily functions. Now, an Iowa staffer who was fired last month says his campaign paid her less than her male counterparts, and that Trump himself made a sleazy comment on her looks.
The New York Times reports that Elizabeth Mae Davidson, a former Trump organizer in Davenport, Iowa, filed a sex discrimination complaint to her local civil right commission, alleging that male staffers doing the same job were paid more and were allowed to speak at public events while she was ignored.
Davidson also says Trump told her and another female volunteer last summer that they “could do a lot of damage,” referencing their appearance.
“That is not the worst thing that could be said,” Trump told the Times. “But I never said it. It’s not in my vocabulary.”
Davidson told The Times she was paid $2,000 per month while, according to public filings, men with the same role in the campaign were paid $3,500 to $4,000.
Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump, told Reuters the campaign had not been notified of the complaint. ”These claims from a disgruntled former part-time employee are without merit,” said Hicks. “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.”
In a Times piece from early January about the Trump campaign’s troubles in Iowa, Davidson was described as “one of the campaign’s most effective organizers.” She said she was fired for breaking a non-disclosure agreement and making “disparaging comments about senior campaign leaders to third parties,” both of which she denies.