An ally of former President Donald Trump has been accused of assaulting a woman.
Kelli Ward, the former chair of the Arizona Republican Party, struck the woman with "two papers and her fist" during a GOP meeting inside Dream City Church in Phoenix in late January, according to a police report filed by an off-duty officer who was in the vicinity.
The report said the woman told the officer that she had yelled "you are no longer a member" at Ward, prompting her to lean over and strike her on the right side of her head and shoulder.
The woman's husband, who was in the seat next to her, told police that his wife said something to Ward as she was walking down the aisle past them, and that is when Ward leaned in from behind him and hit his wife with "two sheets of paper and her closed hand."
Another witness also confirmed that account, saying they saw Ward hit the woman on her head and shoulder then walk away.
"All parties have known [Kelli] Ward over the past several years due to their involvement with the Republican Party" and have also met with her numerous times, the officer wrote in the report.
Video surveillance showed that as Ward was walking down an aisle, she turned around, leaned over a chair, and struck the woman with the paper, AZ Family reported.
"It looked to be a fairly light tap on the video," AZ Family quoted the report as saying.
Ward told police that she had jut finished speaking and was moving down the aisle when "a crazy lady started yelling at her," according to AZ Family.
Ward alleged that the woman yelled: "You're not the chair, you don't have privilege."
Ward said she replied: "No, I'm not and I'm glad about it." She said she then tapped the lady on her shoulder with the paper. She denied hitting the woman with her fist.
The report said the woman was not injured but decided to press charges. The police department submitted their report to city prosecutors for a possible prosecution of assault, AZ Family reported.
The Phoenix Police Department has been contacted for comment via its website. Ward has been contacted for comment via email.
Ward faced calls to resign from her role as chair of the Arizona GOP after Democrats swept Arizona's top races in the 2022 midterms. She was replaced as chair in January 2023.
Update 3/7/23, 3:45 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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