Melania Trump's speechwriter admits mistakes with Michelle Obama's speech

(WTXF-AP) - There's a new chapter in the controversy over Melania Trump's speech, Monday night at the Republican National Convention.

The person at the center of it is a behind-the-scenes in-house staff writer from the Trump Organization named Meredith McIver.

She admits making a mistake, and has offered her resignation, but apparently that's not going to happen.

Donald Trump rejected that.

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In a statement released midday Wednesday, McIver wrote "In working with Melania Trump on her recent First Lady speech we discussed many people who inspired her and messages she wanted to share with the American people. A person she has always liked is Michelle Obama. Over the phone, she read me some passages from Mrs. Obama's speech as examples. I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech. I did not check Mrs. Obama's speeches. This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused Melania and the Trumps, as well as to Mrs. Obama. No harm was meant."

Two passages of Mrs. Trump's speech were nearly identical to passages from Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention eight years ago. But according to The Associated Press, rather than acknowledge any error, Trump's campaign went into denial mode, blaming the media for creating a controversy and suggesting Hillary Clinton bore some responsibility.

Then, the Trump campaign said the similarities were coincidence.