Trump Town owner found not guilty of assault, indecent exposure

A judge Monday found Donald “Whitey” Taylor, owner of Boones Mill‘s Trump Town retail store, not guilty of misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure and assaulting three store employees.

“It was very rewarding,” Taylor said of the verdict. “These ladies were just looking for money.”

Requests for comment from the Franklin County‘s Commonwealth’s Attorney and to attorneys representing the former Trump Town employees were not returned.

Judge Allen (A.J.) Dudley had questions about the women’s credibility, according to The Roanoke Times.

In 2020, Taylor, who also owns Franklin County Speedway, transformed a former church in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of Boones Mill into a retail store filled with merchandise celebrating the 45th and 47th president of the United States. With a long history of serving as one of the Roanoke Valley’s more colorful characters, Taylor ran an unsuccessful campaign for Boones Mill mayor last year.

In October 2024, three Trump Town workers took out charges against Taylor for misdemeanor simple assault and assault and battery through the magistrate’s office.

Taylor believes his former employees timed filing the charges against him to ruin his mayoral candidacy.

With 113 votes, Victor E. Conner became the town’s mayor. Taylor received 17 votes. There was one write-in.

In one of the complaints, a former employee wrote that on or around Sept. 26, 2024, Taylor called her to the back of the store, where, she alleged, he exposed himself and asked her to perform a sex act. The woman also noted that on Oct. 13, Taylor grabbed her buttocks. “He has repeatedly sexually, mentally, emotionally and physically, verbally harassed me,” the woman alleged in the complaint.

In November, Taylor swore out warrants against the three employees, charging each with felony embezzlement. Those charges were later dropped.

Despite his legal and political battles, business remains brisk at Trump Town, according to Taylor. He doesn’t expect demand for merchandise related to The Donald to drop any time soon.

“He’s already built a legacy,” Taylor says of Trump. “His legacy will last forever.”