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Mary Elizabeth Inabinett assaulted Kellyanne Conway at a restaurant in Maryland on October 14, 2018, the counselor to President Donald Trump said in an interview. Inabinett is pleading not guilty to assault. Conway told CNN that Inabinett was “screaming her head off” at Uncle Julio’s, a Mexican restaurant in Bethesda, just outside of the nation’s capital.
Conway told CNN, in an interview for the series, “Badass Women of Washington,” that she was with her middle-school-aged daughter, who was celebrating her birthday when the incident occurred. Conway said, “Somebody was grabbing me from behind, grabbing my arms, and was shaking me to the point where I felt maybe somebody was hugging me. She was out of control. I don’t even know how to explain her to you. She was just, her whole face was terror and anger. She was right here, and my daughter was right there. She ought to pay for that.”
Inabinett’s Lawyer Says His Client Was Exercising Her 1st Amendment Rights During the Incident
The Associated Press reports that the allegations are “disputed” by Inabinett, via her attorney, William Alden McDaniel Jr. Inabinett will appear in court in Maryland in March 2019 to answer to charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Her lawyer says she will plead not guilty. Speaking to CNN, McDaniel said, “Ms. Inabinett saw Kellyanne Conway, a public figure, in a public place, and exercised her First Amendment right to express her personal opinions. She did not assault Ms. Conway. The facts at trial will show this to be true, and show Ms. Conway’s account to be false.”
The charges in the case were filed by authorities, not Conway. Conway also told CNN, “What’s necessary is for people to understand – in front of everybody but especially in front of 13-and 14-year-old girls – that you need to control your temper, control yourself. I don’t want it to become a thing. I just want it to become a teachable moment for everyone that this all has consequences.”
Conway Said She Initially Thought Someone Was Giving Her a Hug
In the court summons, obtained by the Washington Post, Conway says she thought Inabinett was “trying to get her attention for a hug” before leaving. Conway says after turning around she “came face to face with the suspect who was screaming and making aggressive hand gestures towards her.” That summons said the incident went on for around 10 minutes. Inabinett was dining at the restaurant. The summons also says that Inabinett was “forcibly” removed from the restaurant.
Inabinett Lives on the Same Street as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh
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The court summons, via WJLA’s Kevin Lewis, gives Inabinett’s as being on Underwood Street in Chevy Chase, Maryland. That’s the same street that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh lives on with his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh. Ten days before the alleged assault on Conway, the White House announced that there had been no corroboration of the various allegations of sexual misconduct made against Kavanaugh. While the lawyers for an accuser, Christine Blasy Ford, said that the FBI investigation into the allegations, “Those directing the FBI investigation were not interested in seeking the truth.”
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