Greenwich Gubernatorial Candidate Dragged Off Debate Stage: Video

GREENWICH, CT — Lee Whitnum, a gubernatorial candidate from Greenwich, was forcibly pulled off of a debate stage and arrested in Brookfield Monday night, reports the Stamford Advocate.

Whitnum, a declared candidate for the Democratic nomination, was not invited to the debate, which was hosted by the Brookfield Democratic Town Committee, and refused to leave the stage after sitting down and pulling out her own name plate. Seven Democratic candidates had been invited to the event, all of whom left the stage when Whitnum refused to leave.

She was pulled off stage by police - even grabbing the table and lying down on the floor to make it difficult to remove her - and was charged with breach of peace. See the CTBlogger video below. She also has been arrested in the past on other charges.

In a statement following the incident, Whitnum lashed out at the Brookfield Democratic Town Committee for not allowing her to participate. Whitnum has run for public office before, unsuccessfully seeking the party's nomination for the Fourth Congressional District seat currently held by Jim Himes, among others.

"I would be furious if my Democratic Chair kept a candidate from me," wrote Whitnum. "The Town Democratic Chair is not there to be a screening agent, this was a Town Democratic event - not a private television station event, the public was invited and the declared Democratic candidates are to appear. The invited does not say 'just a select few.' It says the Democratic candidates. I am one, and I should be there."

Click here to view Whitnum's full statement.

A post following the debate on the Brookfield Democrats Facebook page thanked the invited candidates and made no mention of Whitnum. See below.

Click here to read the full story on Stamford Advocate website.

Photo of Lee Whitnum via her campaign website.