Donald Trump's new campaign CEO is facing scrutiny over allegations of anti-Semitic remarks and domestic violence.
Stephen Bannon, on leave from his post as head of the alt-right Breitbart News, made anti-Semitic remarks in reference to the student population of a private school his daughters were touring, according to a sworn deposition from his ex-wife, Mary Louise Piccard, in a 2007 court case. Bannon also faced domestic violence charges in 1996 against the same woman but the charges were later dropped.
Bannon's spokeswoman has denied he ever uttered the disparaging remarks about Jews that his ex-wife claimed and have said he and his ex-wife have a "great relationship" while noting that the domestic violence charges were dismissed.
His ex-wife claimed in the deposition filed during a custody battle that Bannon was opposed to sending his twin daughters to the Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles because of the "number of Jews that attend," according to the Daily News. "He said that he doesn't like the way they raise their kids to be 'whiny brats' and that he didn't want the girls going to school with Jews," Piccard wrote, while also claiming he questioned the number of Hanukkah books at another school they visited. A spokeswoman told the Daily News: "At the time, Mr. Bannon never said anything like that and proudly sent the girls to Archer for their middle school and high school education."
Bannon was charged with domestic violence, battery and attempting to dissuade a victim from reporting a crime in February 1996 after he allegedly assaulted Piccard during an argument about finances, according to NBC News. Authorities noted red marks on Piccard's wrist and neck, according to a police report. Bannon pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were dismissed after prosecutors said they could not find his ex-wife. However, she later claimed that Bannon threatened her and ordered her to leave the area, until his attorney allegedly told her it was OK to come back.
Bannon joined the Trump campaign earlier this month after a shakeup that saw the departure of former campaign manager Paul Manafort amid questions about his relationship with Ukrainian officials during a period when he worked as a political strategist there. Bannon, whose Breitbart News suffered the departures of several staffers earlier this year who were dismayed by the site's embrace of Trump, joined as CEO while Kellyanne Conway was appointed campaign manager.
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