The allegations, detailed in a September 1 court filing, include claims from a former girlfriend dating back several years. Ryan Fournier, the co-founder of Students for Trump and a prominent conservative activist, is facing a seven-count indictment in Washington, DC, after prosecutors accused him of assaulting his girlfriend, making threats and attempting to influence witnesses.
He was released that day under a court order requiring him to stay away from his girlfriend and have no contact with her. Here are five of the most serious allegations contained in the court filing. He was initially arrested on misdemeanor charges of simple assault and attempted threats to do bodily harm. Prosecutors say he also asked her to make social-media posts portraying the girlfriend negatively. The woman refused, saying she did not want to provide police with false information.
Fournier has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is scheduled to go on trial on October 8 before DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean. Police were called to Fournier’s apartment in the early hours of May 26. Fournier later asked an associate to tell police that his girlfriend had attacked him, even though the woman had not witnessed the alleged assault , according to the September 1 filing. He allegedly also presented what she believed was an M-16 rifle; investigators later determined it was a replica.
His attorney did not respond to a request for comment, according to the report. An arrest affidavit says he allegedly shouted, “I’ll kill everyone here,” and threatened to crush someone’s head with a lamp while swinging a handheld vacuum. The court filing says he told the woman that he could use his political connections to have her deported or have someone kill her if she spoke negatively about him.
