Updated at 9:30 a.m. on October 27.
The MoveOn.org activist whose head was stepped on by a Rand Paul supporter before a Kentucky Senate debate on Monday is saying the violence was no accident.
Appearing on CBS's Early Show today, Lauren Valle said the attack on her was “premeditated,” and that even before she approached Paul to give him a satirical award, supporters of the candidate had made a circle around her.
“My partner Alex heard them say, ‘We’re here to do crowd control and we might have to take someone out,’” she said. Valle said she had been in the area for two weeks with MoveOn.org and that Paul supporters recognized her and “didn’t like [her] message.”
The man caught on tape stepping on her head, Tim Profitt, has been removed from his position as the Republican Paul's Bourbon County campaign coordinator and faces an assault charge, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Profitt, who assaulted Valle after she tried to present Paul with a satirical “Employee of the Month” award for his commitment to big business, apologized.
"I'm sorry that it came to that, and I apologize if it appeared overly forceful, but I was concerned about Rand's safety," he told the Associated Press.
Valle said that she was never a threat to Paul, and that she has always been a supporter of nonviolent protest.
The Paul campaign is distancing itself from Profitt, saying in a statement that it is “extremely disappointed” by his actions and that violence “will not be tolerated by our campaign.” That said, the Paul campaign had a full-page ad in Tuesday's Herald-Leader that lists Profitt as a supporter.
The MoveOn.Org activist who had her head stepped on by a Rand Paul supporter before a Senate debate in Kentucky is saying the violence was no accident.
Appearing on CBS's The Early Show today, Lauren Valle said the attack on her was “premeditated,” and that even before she approached Paul, supporters of the candidate had made a circle around her.
“My partner Alex heard them say, ‘We’re here to do crowd control and we might have to take someone out,’” she said. Valle said she had been in the area for two weeks with MoveOn.org and that Paul supporters recognized her and “didn’t like [her] message.”
The man caught on tape stepping on her head, Time Profitt, has been removed from his position as the Bourbon County campaign coordinator for Rand Paul and faces an assault charge, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Profitt, who assaulted Valle, after she tried to present Paul with a satirical “Employee of the Month” award for his commitment to big business, apologized.
"I'm sorry that it came to that, and I apologize if it appeared overly forceful, but I was concerned about Rand's safety," he told the Associated Press.
Valle said that she was never a threat to Paul, that she has always been a supporter of non-violent protest.
The Paul campaign is distancing itself from Profitt, saying in a statement that it is “extremely disappointed” by his actions and that violence “will not be tolerated by our campaign.” That said, the Paul campaign had a full-page ad in Tuesday's Herald-Leader that lists Profitt as a supporter.
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