Rand Paul coordinator Tim Profitt admits to stepping on woman from MoveOn.org before Kentucky debate

In shocking video that exemplifies how ugly some of the races have gotten in 2010, a woman in Kentucky is shown being pushed to the ground while a man puts his foot on her and then stomps her.

The victim, Lauren Valle of MoveOn.org, approached Republican nominee for Senate Rand Paul in an attempt to pose for a photo with him holding up a faux award when she was thrown down to the ground by one Paul supporter and then stomped by another.

The violence happened in Lexington before Paul debated his Democrat rival, Jack Conway, Monday night.

One of the men in the video, Tim Profitt, admitted to the Associated Press on Tuesday that he stepped on Valle's head. Profitt was the Bourbon County coordinator for Paul.

Lexington police said this afternoon that that Profitt was indeed their man. "Detectives identified the suspect involved in the assault as Tim Profitt. Mr. Profitt is currently being served with a criminal summons ordering him to appear before a Fayette County District Court judge," police said in a statement.

Earlier the Paul people distanced themselves from the violence and the volunteer. "Whatever the perceived provocation, any level of aggression or violence is deplorable, and will not be tolerated by our campaign," Paul campaign manager Jesse Benton said through a statement released Tuesday afternoon. "The Paul campaign has disassociated itself from the volunteer who took part in this incident."

Paul appeared on Fox News on Tuesday morning saying there was nothing about the mayhem that he liked.

Lexington Police Lt. Edward Hart told the Huffington Post that there were about 300 protesters outside the debate and only a few officers because they were not "anticipating any issues."

"She had been attending multiple rallies with the same purpose," Hart said. "She stated that she was wearing a wig and as she was running up to Rand Paul she was either tripped on purpose or pushed to the ground."

Hart said Valle filed a fourth-degree assault report with the Police Department.

The man who threw Valle to the ground is allegedly Mike Pezzano, says blogger Lisa Grass. An anonymous "tea party" activist alleges that Pezzano was the brute in the checkered shirt assaulting the wigged woman.

-- Tony Pierce

Photo: Tim Profitt of Paris, Ky., is joined by other demonstrators as he attends a rally in support of Republican Rand Paul in Lexington, Ky., on March 2. Credit: Associated Press

 

Comments

[KarenJ]

That's right, Rand Paul has now thrown Tim Profitt under the Teapublican bus, and is acting really really surprised that his supporters "act out" with their Neanderthal bullying.

And how typical of the Rand Paul supporters who've climbed onto the apologist bandwagon and blamed the victim for "asking for it", or suggested that she was a plant by you guessed it, George Soros.

Poor George Soros. He's one measly multimillionaire whom, I'm sure, never figured on becoming the RWNJ's poster boy for their own excuses for being bankrolled by hundreds of corporatist right wing multimillionaires.

[bda616]

My prediction? The wingnuts will find a way to blame the woman. Heck, for all I know, it's already happened.

[stage9]

so....she provoked a response. stepping on her head was uncalled for and uncivil, but this girl was not innocent in the confrontation either. Moveon.org is famous for their provocation.

[manix]

I would expect no less from one of his supports. They are that dumb. I am sure rand paul wanted to join in.

[Tim]

I guess I should be surprised that some believe that exercising one's right to assemble along with one's right to free speech, while wearing a wig, means she provoked it. By that logic, the Paul supporters also provoked it by exercising their right to assemble and their right to free speech. Personal accountability, which the right always seems to talk about goes out the window when it doesn't jive with politics...now...she provoked it...no responsibility from the right, just 'uncalled for' and 'uncivil'. Typical.

[Stompback]

Rand Paul is a joke and slearly lost this last debate and any real crediablity he had going into it. His supporters are ignorant and think that treating women like this should be common place. They knew she was a women and admitted it then jerked her wig off threw her to the ground and stomped on her head all the while saying you deserve it and it went on for several minutes while more of his supporters went up and spit at her. You can't be that blind to vote for this Paul Joke. Vote for Conway.

[John]

"stepping on her head was uncalled for and uncivil"

It was also assault.

[SPO101]

Tim Profitt will be better off in jail getting punked. Now that he’s identified, if out on the street he’ll be getting his @$$ beat on a daily basis by REAL MEN who find his actions deplorable. I would have given anything to be there in that debate crowd as Profitt had his size 12 on Lauren Valle’s neck. I’d of knocked that bad boy down and gave him a taste. I was thinking of opening a glue factory in Kentucky but now that I see so many of Kentuckians are such craven, ignorant losers I think I’ll move it to New York

[sgreco]

what matters here is not paul or his beliefs but the savage and violent supporters of paul who need to be brought to justice for what they did. If his supporters are any indication of what this election season is to bring to congress, I for one suggest we consider the steps necessary to remove the congress, by legal means, should they get out of hand. We will not stand for watching our country devolve into a band of head-stopping extremists.

[common sense]

"rand paul people would do this!...tea-baggers are all ____ <-- negative explative...how expected comming from 'the other side'"...what's so expected is your facade of surprise, opportunistic blanket generalizations and vitriolic smears towards anyone you happen to disagree with. "she was just practicing her 1st amendment right"...is that what you call rushing a SENETORIAL CANDIDATE while wearing a wig/disguise in order to "present him with a prize"? she was sent by MORON.org to incite and provoke! but you guys would be so partisan as to make a much bigger deal out of this than it actually is. there are bad people EVERYWHERE! but no..."let's generalize that all rand paul supporters are just like him, let's generalize that all tea-party supporters would stomp on somebody's head, let's generalize that anyone who might disagree with us is evil and should be put to death". yeah, you guys really do a great job of applying reason to your overly emotional politic. get over your self-righteous selves.

[Jane]

From WKYT Mobile:

"But to Tim Profitt, the the situation is much different. He says what the video doesn't show is Valle's aggressive behavior. Profitt says she rushed Paul's car three different times; each time refusing to stop.

He says at the time, he didn't know what she was trying to do.

"We thought she was a danger; we didn't know what she was doing."

Profitt explained that he used his foot to try and keep her down because he can't bend over because of back problems. ...

Valle has worked as an activist for several groups, including Greenpeace and was arrested with 6 others on felony charges in May in Louisiana for defacing a drilling boat following the gulf oil spill.

In August of 2008, a Lauren Valle was also one of 5 members of 'Students for a Free Tibet' detained in Beijing, China for unfurling a "Free Tibet" banner in Olympic park".

So the woman's a nasty felon. She might well have been a danger to the peace and safety of those around her. She certainly doesn't respect private property.

I can't get worked up over this particular victim.

[dom youngross]

Taking someone in a crowd down to the ground in that situation in response to that someone running up to a candidate is a split-second response, and within the realm of reasonable action. Anyone who would go running up to President Obama as part of an attempt to make a political statement would likewise be taken to the ground, albeit more professionally, by those so trained to do so. Moral of the story for everyone: Don't think subterfuge or acting in any threatening way is justified by your ends. I saw the video. She wasn't thrown to the ground, wrestled yes. The foot guy will pay the piper. Circumstances and pre-history of the protestor will mitigate in his favor.

[Marleigh Hevelone]

1st- if this guy honestly had back problems, he wouldn't be bending down (as he does in the video) period. I have back problems myself that flare up from time to time and when it comes up I can't hardly move.

2nd- this assault is inexcusable. I don't care what she did or has done this attack could have easily ended in her death- messing with someones head, neck and back can cause serious damage. She was being no less obnoxious than the tea party people have been over the last 2 years.

3rd- the fact that there are people are saying "well she had it coming" shows just how truly screwed up we have become as a country. We have lost our ability to aknowledge when things have gone too far. That's a very troubling trend and it really should bother more people.

[Chris]

They play this off so coolly on the Fox clip, like nothing really happened or like she got exactly what she deserved. The anchor is trying to smile it off and keeps repeating "passionate on both sides," like there's some kind of justification for this kind of assault.

There's not.

I come from a place called America, and in America we don't attack women like this. Period.

If she was doing something to make herself look like a fool, then you stand back and let her look like a fool. You'd probably gain more support that way. You don't tackle the woman and then pin her head to the curb with your boot. That's something the Taliban would do.

[Jeff B.]

The same people who rightly defend Muslims against people who blame an entire group of people for the actions of 19, are the same who will say all members of the tea party, or all of Rand Paul's supporters, are evil.

It was an idiot stepping on a woman's head, and -- if you watch the video really carefully -- there's another Paul supporter shouting at him to stop.

Drop the double standard.

[Rhonda Wurm]

Tim Proffitt isn't even sorry he did it. He wants his victim to apologize to him! Read this unbelievable interview that Lexington television station WKYT-27 had with him on the evening news at www.wkyt.com
----------------------
A Rand Paul supporter is being ordered to appear in court so a judge can decide whether charges are warranted after he was caught on camera stomping on a liberal activist.

NEWSFIRST talked with the two men at the center of the whole ordeal. The man who is accused of stomping on the woman has been identified as Tim Profitt a former volunteer with Mr. Paul's U.S. Senate campaign. The other man, Mike Pezzano, wrestled the activist to the ground after she tried to confront the Tea Party candidate.

On the same day the Paul campaign ran a full page newspaper ad displaying supporters' names, the group moved fast to disassociate itself from one of those names, Tim Profitt.

When we spoke to Profitt, he asked that his face not appear on camera, but he wanted to defend himself.

"She's a professional at what she does," Profitt said, referring to the MoveOn.org activist, "and I think when all the facts come out, I think people will see that she was the one that initiated the whole thing."

The woman, 23-year-old Lauren Valle from Washington D.C., appeared to be following a specific set of instructions detailed on MoveOn.org's website designed to attract media attention.

Profitt claims he believed Paul was in danger from the woman and that he acted to protect the candidate, but the campaign has condemned Profitt's actions.

"I put my foot on her, and I did push her down at the very end, and I told her to stay down," Proffitt said, "I actually put my foot on her to... I couldn't bend over because I have issues with my back."

Lexington Police began an assault investigation identifying Profitt as a suspect. "Well I'll just say it, if the police had done what they were supposed to do, it would have never happened," Profitt said.

The Paul campaign is not alone in its reaction. Another man involved in the altercation, Mike Pezzano, who held down Ms. Valle, tells NEWSFIRST he doesn't condone Profitt's actions. Valle has said she believes Paul supporters planned an attack on her. Pezzano asked not to appear on camera for an interview, but he denies that accusation and says he barely knows Profitt and didn't even know Profitt was there.

As for Profitt, he remains defiant. "I don't think it's that big of a deal," Profitt said.

And when asked if he would apologize to Valle. "I would like for her to apologize to me to be honest with you," Profitt said.

A spokesperson for MoveOn.org says Lauren Valle has been released from the hospital and is recovering from injuries including a concussion and a sprained shoulder and arm.

[ignatzz]

The fact that the guy was wearing a sticker that said "Don't Tread On Me" says it all about the Tea Baggers projection and paranoia. What they CLAIM others want to do is what they ACTUALLY want to do. They scream about "Sharia Law" because THEY want to institute a theocracy. They talk about OTHER people violating the Constitution while they try to shred it. They step on peoples' heads while claiming that others want to step on THEM.

[Cloud]

These men assaulted a political opponent. One man stepped on her hard enough to give her a concussion and a sprained shoulder, and some commenters are actually defending him? Because they don't like her political affiliations, or her exercising her right to publicly disagree with a candidate for office? You should be ashamed. This was actual physical assault, and Fox News shrugs it off with a wink and a smile.

[MEP616]

How typical of liberals......always playing the victim.

[barbara brooks]

This is the sickest thing I have ever seen. This Tea Party Group is nothing more than a bunch of racist thugs with No morals. Remember the poor guy with the crippling disease that was supporting healthcare? Those bagger idiots yelling at him and throwing wadded bills in his face? If these idiots get into office, the bagger fools that beat, bigoted, and bullied to get them elected will be deemed mentally incompetant to vote in further elections. SHould be that way now, since the same idiiots voted for the murderer Bush.....TWICE!

[barbara brooks]

This act was not provoked! She never even made contact with that fool. This is the bagger M.O. Beat up women and cripples that dare to have a different opinion. Sounds a little like some third world leadership. If these nutjobs are elected, it will be the end of this country as we know it.

[cruisingbull]

I'm with dom youngross (post on October 26, 2010 at 09:03 PM). AND to all you sheeple who rant in your righteous indignation, WATCH THE PRE-VIDEO VIDEO! It shows that Valle rushed Paul's car AND SHOVED HER SIGN THROUGH THE CAR WINDOW. Now, for those of you who don't remember your history, Google Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme and Sara Jane Moore (who fired a .38 cal pistol at Ford). I try to be a Southern gentleman, and not manhandle "gentlewomen" under any circumstances... but I DO exercise the right of self-defense, and the common sense to restrain someone who I perceive is a threat to others.

Which is more egregiously damnable... attacking and severely injuring, without provocation, a vendor selling Tea Party merchandise (as was done by SEIU thugs), or immobilizing a potential threat to a candidate (and putting your foot on the perpetrator's head/neck is an effective way of doing that).

This perpetrator (Valle) was (and is) obviously an agent provocateur, and deserved what she got... and after viewing the pre-video, I trust all talk of filing charges against Profitt will cease. Perhaps the D.A. will consider charges against Valle... as he should.

ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES... Something that libbies/proggies seem to feel only applies to others... not themselves.

[cruisingbull]

And to Andrew Macolm... Thanks for your "non-partisan, fair and balanced, and complete" reportage of this incident. You are a credit to the Lamestream Media, and a walking offense to those of us who used to depend on the Fourth Estate to provide a complete and truthful account of events on the pages of their newspapers, and kept their opinions to the editorial page. Did you forget to sign up for the journalistic ethics class, or did you get your degree from George Soros Univ.?

[Doug G.]

As a long time democrat who lives in Kentucky i am very disappointed in how Jack Conway and the democrats have handled this election. Here you had a man who admitted was against the civil rights act, yet they have not attacked Paul on the issues, but have tried to make him out to be some weirdo which hasn't worked.

You would think after watching the republican primaries and watching Paul beat his republican opponent 20 points using the same tactics, they would have learned. Instead I see Conway attacking Paul on his religion, college years, aqua velva, and now some redneck in the audience kicking someone when he could have beat him on the issues. This whole election season in Kentucky was a joke.

[Tim]

To cruisingbull:

You're missing the point. She was already subdued on the ground and the car was gone. Why did Profitt's foot need to make contact with her at all?

[Kent Graham]

I am afraid that the U.S., is headed toward becoming a nation of intolerance, bigotry and religious incorrectness. I hope that it can be stopped before we become another fascist state!

[dog]

Ran Paul and Bush are the best look out for the DC muslim are the one to watch the one you don'read the bible it is call the antichrist the beast mark is 666

[dog]

you people will be in hell with the beast for takeing god out of the USA the DC muslim zip code was 666

[Brendan O.]

I'm disgusted to even think Mr. Profitt and I are of the same species.

[TribalScribal]

Did someone say Brownshirts? It's remarkable: all these right-wing extremists falling all over themselves to justify the thuggery that surfaces at so many of their events. Some are even threatening armed rebellion against the state if they lose in the elections. There's a name for that: treason. Let's see, what are we reminded of....umm...Germany? 1930s?

[Rubarb]

Maybe Tim Profitt and his ilk should try doing that to a man and then we can all watch his face get bashed in. Is there some way to kick Kentucky out of the Union?

[Earle Beale]

She was rushing the car? EVERYONE was advancing toward the car. The thing that made her stand out was her placard. I don't remember any Tea Partiers getting worked up over the protesters carrying guns to the Obama rallies. But now you want to stomp on a woman because she is a threat? Stop the rationalizations! There was no excuse for tackling this woman and stomping on her head/neck.

[Marianne Boyd]

This reaction to outright hate and violence is so typical of "fox news". Of course if the cercumstances were switched around and this woman had acted violently they would go crazy with it. Fox is POISON and the people who watch it and live by it are no better than Nazis in my opinion. We are dangerously close to reliving holocaust type times. Remember Germany before Hitler became powerful. This acceptance of this unbelieveable behaviour frightens me beyond words. What is happening to the United States of America and our civil rights!!!!!!!!!

[jm]

nice to know there are still 'baccy spittin' rednecks out there man enough to beat up a girl.

[Judith Kelly]

How sad it is for a so-called man to attack a defensive woman on the ground. So is this the real Tea-Party group.
So if you have a different opinion from the tea party and you protest you get the ---stomped out of you

[Kelly M Bray]

To Jane:.....
"In August of 2008, a Lauren Valle was also one of 5 members of 'Students for a Free Tibet' detained in Beijing, China for unfurling a "Free Tibet" banner in Olympic park".

If you think that this is a heinous act then maybe you should move to Cuba. I think it makes her a hero.

[link]

For stomping on someone's head when they are down, and a woman, at that, he should do hard time in prison and be very, very, very ashamed for being a coward. Politicizing it only makes it worse.

[Grant Uptain]

Why have not the alledged criminals been arrested and thrown into the slammer?

Paul belongs to the new school of action that allows lying, cheating and now brutalizing real or perceived opposition. The politician who needs gangsters to 'protect' him outside of the law needs more several courses in the long road man has traveled to achieve civility by means of law. JHC!

grant

[Lemmie]

Anyone saying that she 'provoked' the attack is a disgusting, amoral apologist for what amounts to the exact same tactics that the Fascists used to take power prior to world war two. Responding to a harmless political gag with physical violence is unacceptable in America, and defending the attack, or even using some idiotic wishy-washy platitude about how exercising your first amendment rights is 'provocation' like "Stage9" did makes you just as bad as that Neanderthal hillbilly Tim Proffit who stomped on the girls head while his thug partners held her to the ground with her hands pinned behind her back.

[Matt]

Kelly, that was exactly what I was gonna write.

Profitt is not a security person and has no right to physically restrain a person. There were police there and if he thought there was danger to the candidate, he should have reported this to the authorities. This is nothing short of assault regardless of whether "she asked for it" or not.

[FOUNDING FODDER]

This country is doomed...you all better start learning chinese...

[Laura Higdon]

Why do people keep comparing this situation to the President. Rand Paul is not the president or ever close. Move-on has never use violence to get there message across. For that matter almost all liberal fight with their words and not their fist or feet. The police where right behind them if they where that worried why not get the officer to help. They didn't like her sign or message and took it out on her. So many Tea-parties protest all the time and not one of them has been attacked. They have even brought weapons to Democratic events and not one was stomped on. NO EXCUSE no matter how bad you want to make one up instead of taking any responsibility. Just like the condition of the US today it's Obama's fault because we don't want to admit we messed up putting Bush in office. You messed up Admit it and earn so respect for yourself.

[Tim]

@KarenJ - Yeah.. I bet Rand Paul planned the attack. You're an idiot lady... and on the losing side of this election it seems, too.

[Jill Wyatt]

Tim Profitt is a coward. I was going to call him an ignorant redneck, but I didn't want to offend the rest of the ignorant rednecks.

[Marion C. Kearns]

I bet the Lady Senator in Arizona wishes that someone like Tim Proffit had been there the day she was shot and several innocent people were killed. Mr. Proffit put his well being on the line to make sure Senator Paul was safe. Nobody knew what this wingnut of move-on.org had planned. Rand Paul now shows his gratitude by deserting a man that could have possibley saved his life. I voted for Rand Paul once , but will never vote for the coward again. They say the apple don't fall far from the tree.

[amsron]

This guy is only the tip of the iceberg. I hope she sues him for his entire net worth. That way, anyone else who wants to be a thug for political cronies will think twice before assaulting someone.