A high-ranking ballot access consultant for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign, Trent Pool, was charged with assault in Manhattan last week. Pool, who works closely with the team coordinating the independent candidate’s ballot access effort, was arrested at the Soho Grand Hotel in Manhattan and charged with assault and criminal obstruction of breathing. The incident involved a verbal dispute with a 25-year-old woman, after which Pool allegedly wrapped his hand around her neck, making it hard for her to breathe, and then struck her in the face with a closed fist. The woman declined medical attention at the scene, and Pool was released on bond later that day. His first court appearance is scheduled for June.
Kennedy campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear stated that Trent Pool is a contractor and has denied that the alleged incident ever occurred. Pool’s attorney, Gregory Esposito, also stated that his client is innocent of all charges and looks forward to demonstrating this in court. Pool has played a significant role in the campaign’s ballot access strategy, working closely with the campaign’s main ballot access lawyer, Paul Rossi, and ballot access director Nick Brana to shape strategy in various states.
Pool’s firm, Accelevate 2020, joined the Kennedy campaign in a federal lawsuit in Utah seeking to extend the state’s deadline for independent candidates to apply for ballot access. Rossi has previously represented Pool before joining the Kennedy campaign. The campaign has paid Accelevate 2020 nearly $390,000 for campaign consulting, and Pool has helped incorporate professional petition circulators into the campaign’s signature gathering operation largely made up of volunteers. Additionally, American Values 2024, a super PAC backing Kennedy, paid $1.1 million for ballot access work this year to Public Appeal LLC, a firm founded by Pool and his brother.
The Kennedy campaign has utilized the services of Trent Pool and his firm in their efforts to secure ballot access in various states. Pool has been instrumental in managing the campaign’s signature gathering operation and incorporating professional petition circulators into the process. The campaign has paid Accelevate 2020 a significant amount for campaign consulting, and American Values 2024, a super PAC supporting Kennedy, also paid for ballot access work to a firm founded by Pool and his brother.
Given Pool’s important role in the Kennedy campaign’s ballot access strategy and his involvement in legal challenges related to independent candidates seeking ballot access, the assault charges against him have raised concerns. The campaign spokesperson maintains that Pool is innocent and denies the allegations made against him. Pool’s attorney also asserts his client’s innocence and looks forward to showing this in court. The situation highlights the potential impact of legal issues on political campaigns and the importance of carefully managing such situations to maintain credibility and trust among supporters.
