Jacob Ogles
A new video from outside a Lake County Republican Party meeting undermines the account of former county GOP Chair Anthony Sabatini.
Among other things, it shows the moment when a woman said a party slammed a steel door on her hand hard enough to send her to the emergency room.
Rather, the video shows precinct committeewoman June Lang, who had already been in the meeting, come outside as Sabatini argued with law enforcement providing security.
A three-minute video shows Sabatini sent her back inside and told her to spread word among party members that Sabatini was denied entry.
“Go in there and tell every single f—ing person that this meeting needs to end right now,” Sabatini told her. “Do not let them call this meeting because these three people said they are going to arrest me and throw me in jail, a sitting County Commissioner, if I walk in the building.”
She tries to go in one door, then another where Lake GOP Mike Trainor blocked the door. When Sabatini asks if she is banned too, Trainor said, “she is not going to disrupt our meeting.”
Sources say party leaders did not want the meeting disrupted while newly appointed Lt. Gov. Jay Collins was in town to meet with party members.
But the woman after noting she was a member of the party was ultimately let back inside.
Later in the video, Autumn Jacunski also shows up at a doorway as another woman, Stephanie Winheim, begins filming on her cell phone. She immediately becomes confrontational with Trainor.
A lawsuit filed by Jacunski, who is represented by Sabatini as her attorney, claims “Jacunski was physically battered by a member of the LCREC (Lake County Republican Executive Committee) — her hand intentionally crushed in a steel door.”
But the new video shows Trainor was not looking as the door closed on Jacunski’s hand. She shouts “That was my hand you just smashed” while Winheim records her attempted entry on avideo. Law enforcement were standing a few feet away the entire time.
Jacunski appears unhurt and walks away from the door. But Sabatini then starts making accusations on Trainer. At a point, he says, “I just got told by three people Mike Trainor just hit me” and that “he just hit her and blocked her from the room.”
Of note, Orlando television station WESH arrived at the scene later in the evening, after police were called to investigate. No arrest was made. Cell phone footage was provided to the station and pictures of Jacunski with paramedics with her hand being iced. Sabatini claimed she ended up in an emergency room for three hours. The station also featured Winheim’s account.
Throughout the new video, Sabatini remains on the phone and also flags other members telling them not to let the meeting proceed.
