Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBubba Wallace to be driver of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR team Graham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE allegedly wanted to fire unattractive female employees at one of his golf resorts, according to a 2012 lawsuit.



ADVERTISEMENT

A sworn declaration from Hayley Strozier, the former director of catering at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., alleged that Trump pressured the management to fire unattractive hostesses and replace them with more attractive employees."I had witnessed Donald Trump tell managers many times while he was visiting the club that restaurant hostesses were 'not pretty enough' and that they should be fired and replaced with more attractive women,” she said, as reported first by the Los Angeles Times Strozier added that the management would often adjust the schedule “so that the most attractive women were scheduled to work when Mr. Trump was scheduled to be at the club."The restaurant manager at the time, Sue Kwiatkowski told the court Trump specifically instructed her to hire "good looking hostesses."“Donald Trump always wanted good looking women working at the club. I know this because one time he took me aside and said, ‘I want you to get some good looking hostesses here. People like to see good looking people when they come in.’”According to the LA Times, "the bulk of the lawsuit was settled in 2013" with nearly half a million dollars going to plaintiffs. There was no admission of guilt on behalf of the club or the Trump Organization.A lawyer for the Trump Organization called the allegations “meritless.”

The newly released documents come in the wake of widespread criticism of the GOP nominee's comments about former Miss Universe Alicia Machado.

Trump was put on the defensive during Monday night's presidential debate, after Democratic rival Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonJoe Biden looks to expand election battleground into Trump country Biden leads Trump by 12 points among Catholic voters: poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden goes on offense MORE brought up his past comments about Machado.

Trump's barbs could be a problem, as polls show he is losing support among women to Clinton.

Trump is also trailing Clinton among Hispanic voters, so the controversy surrounding Machado, who is from Venezuela, could be doubly damaging.

Trump blasted her in 1996 for gaining weight after she won the pageant, allegedly calling her "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeping."