Former Trump Bedminster club employee files sexual harassment suit, ‘pressured’ to sign NDA
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A former server at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., has filed a lawsuit against the club alleging that she was sexually harassed by her boss and then pressured to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) by former President Trump’s current attorney.
Alice Bianco filed the complaint Wednesday in the Superior Court of New Jersey. In it, she claims that when she began working at Trump National Golf Club in 2021 at 21 years old, her manager forcibly kissed her and attempted to pressure her into engaging in sex with him.
Pavel Melichar, the food and beverage manager at the club, allegedly gave Bianco a bottle of cognac, asked her into his office and said he would “protect her.” The lawsuit states Melichar forcibly kissed her and asked Bianco “what she was going to do for him.”
Bianco attempted to avoid his advancements, the suit states. Melichar had control over her workplace and “made it clear to her that he could make her life easy or hard.”
Melichar, who is in his mid-50s, then began to require Bianco to engage in sex for her continued employment. He would show her videos of Trump praising him to indicate his closeness to the former president, the lawsuit states.
When Bianco refused his advances, Melichar gave her unfair job assignments and allowed “his henchmen to abuse her and steal her tips.”
According to the complaint filed by Bianco’s lawyer, Nancy Erika Smith, Bianco found out another female employee at the club was going to complain about his advancements. They wrote a letter in July 2021 and shortly after, a member of Trump Human Resources called Bianco.
Alina Habba, who had been to the club before but did not represent Trump at the time, approached Bianco. The lawsuit states that Habba acted as a friend and encouraged Bianco to fire her lawyer.
The lawsuit alleges Habba groomed Bianco, pretending they were friends. Habba encouraged Bianco not to go public with her accusations against Melichar and to sign an NDA, which she later did.
After Bianco signed, Habba told her that she “better not try to sell her story to the media because she would owe Trump the settlement proceeds and the media would only pay about $3000.” Shortly after, Habba began representing the former president.
Melichar, Habba and Trump were not named as defendants in the complaint. The lawsuit is filed against the Lamington Farm Club, the company that owns the Trump National Golf Club, located 50 miles outside of New York City.
Bianco is seeking to stop the club from enforcing the NDA and to refer Habba to the New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics.
The Hill has reached out to Habba for comment.
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