GOP aide 'stunned' by accusations he assaulted Lindsay Lohan, family reveal



Actress was with Christian LaBella and others in her New York hotel on Saturday night when he allegedly started taking pictures of gathering

Lohan 'angrily tried to grab camera and delete up to 50 photos'

But he 'threw her on bed, choked her and climbed on top of her'

LaBella works for Republican congressman John Shimkus

25-year-old was arrested but released without charge

Lohan publicist said his denials are a 'crock of s***'



The congressional aide accused of assaulting Lindsay Lohan at her New York hotel is said to be 'stunned' at the allegations, according to his family.

Christian LaBella, 25, who works for Illinois congressman John Shimkus, was arrested yesterday after the actress said she got in a tussle with him at the five-star W hotel over cellphone pictures he allegedly took.



The 25-year-old's uncle spoke on his nephew's behalf int he wake of the incident, saying:

'He doesn’t really understand why this is happening.



Scroll down for video



'Attack': Lindsay Lohan was allegedly assaulted in her Manhattan hotel room by Christian LaBella, right

Denial: Christian LaBella's uncle has spoken out to say his nephew is 'stunned' by the allegations against him

'It's a shame when a celebrity like that can use her publicist to tar a kid who has done nothing wrong.'

But Lohan's publicist told the New York Daily News about his denials: 'That's a crock of s*** and you can quote me on that.'



LaBella will not face any criminal charges despite being accused of doing a number of things to the actress, including punching, scratching and choking her after she demanded he delete cellphone photos of her.

The initial charges of misdemeanor assault were dropped within hours.

His uncle Peter Jessop told the Daily News: 'He is pretty stunned by all of this. He was just out having fun, and Lindsay Lohan picked him out of a crowd at bar and said, "You're coming with us".



'I guess they had a friend in common. He didn't do anything to invite this.

'Every statement has her mother saying, "Thank God he didn't have a weapon." Of course he didn't have a weapon. He didn't do anything.



'And her publicist is saying she suffered injuries. She didn't suffer any injuries.'

Police have said the star wasn't seriously injured.

Law enforcement officials interviewed both Lohan and LaBella and determined the accusations against him could not be substantiated. They said his arrest would be voided.

An NYPD spokesman told MailOnline that both parties have filed harassment claims against each other.

Connections: LaBella, pictured with Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan, works for Illinois congressman John Shimkus

LaBella has his own connections to the famous and powerful - his aunt is comedian Heather McDonald, and he is employed as a staffer for Illinois GOP congressman John Shimkus.

On his Facebook page, he has posted images of himself posing with high-profile figures such as Mitt Romney's running mate Paul Ryan and former presidential candidate Herman Cain.

He has also met reality superstar Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner in another encounter pictured on his Facebook profile.

According to his YouTube page, LaBella ran for president of his business fraternity at the University of San Diego and was a child actor.



Lohan reportedly met the suspect at Manhattan's popular 1OAK nightclub in the city's Chelsea district.



She is said to have later taken him to her room on the 15th floor of the nearby W Hotel.



Starry: LaBella posing with reality star Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner

According to NBC New York, the actress saw approximately 50 photos of herself on LaBella's phone at approximately 4.30am and confronted him about the images.

The website, citing police sources, reports: 'LaBella then threw her on the bed causing scratches on her hands.'

Lohan is believed to have run out of the room before returning a short time later, at which point she told police he choked her, threw her to the ground and climbed on top of her.



A friend of the actress is believed to have pulled LaBella off Lohan, who then pulled the fire alarm for help, according to NBC.

LaBella, originally from Woodlands Hill, California, but now based in Washington DC, took off down the stairs, but police arrived before he was able to leave the hotel, took him into custody and filed a report on the alleged assault .

Lohan refused medical attention and did not go to a hospital.

LaBella was initially charged Sunday afternoon with assault and harassment, but after further investigation police dropped the assault charge.



LaBella has since filed a harassment complaint against Lohan.

Scene: The incident, believed to have stemmed over a cell phone photo, allegedly occurred at the W Hotel in Manhattan's Union Square, where the actress was staying

According to TMZ , Lohan claims he had taken over 50 photos and video of her before the incident.

Mr Shimkus confirmed that LaBella worked for him, but condemned the alleged assault.

A spokesman said: 'Obviously, the Congressman does not condone his actions.'

Lohan's mother Dina told the Daily News that her daughter was 'very shaken up' after the encounter, adding: 'Thank God he didn't have a weapon.'

The star's publicist Steve Honig expressed the star's anger at learning her alleged attacker had not been charged, saying: ' We think it's both distressing and outrageous. Lindsay was assaulted and there needs to be a consequence for that.'

Night out: Lohan allegedly met Christian LaBella, 26, at Manhattan's popular 1OAK nightclub before taking him to her hotel where the alleged assault unfolded

The alleged incident comes less than a week after Lohan was rushed to hospital after suffering from a bad lung infection.

According to TMZ , Lohan had suffered with a case of 'walking pneumonia' but her condition apparently deteriorated, causing her to seek medical attention.

The actress was reportedly taken to the emergency room at Mount Sinai Hospital where she received treatment, including antibiotics.

She was discharged shortly afterwards and is said to be recovering.

Behind closed doors: 1OAK lies cleverly behind wood panels in Manhattan's Chelsea neighbourhood

The health scare comes as yet more drama for the former Mean Girls star, who was arrested earlier this month after allegedly leaving the scene of an accident after clipping a pedestrian with her car in New York.

According to TMZ, Lohan was pulling in at low speed to park her Porsche Cayenne near the Dream Hotel when she allegedly hit the knee of an unnamed man in his 30s on September 19.

The actress was booked for the misdemeanour offence of leaving the scene of an accident and released with a desk appearance ticket, meaning she did not have to pay bail before release.

The alleged victim was not knocked down by the vehicle and had no visible injuries, but was still taken to hospital.



Though the offense is a misdemeanour, it could trigger a probation violation in the actress' jewellery theft case as one of the conditions of probation is that she obeys all laws.