PA Senator's Aide Threw Punches At Local Golf Course: Lawsuit

LOWER PROVIDENCE, PA — An aide and cousin to Pennsylvania State Sen. Anthony Williams is facing a civil lawsuit and criminal charges following a November 2020 altercation at a local golf course.

Jonathan Williams, who is an aide working for the Democratic senator from the 8th District, and also a family member, got into a tussle with a golf pro shop employee at the Shannondell golf course, located in the Aububon section of Lower Providence Township, late last year.

The employee, Hunter Wagner of Audubon, is suing Jonathan Williams over the incident.

Wagner's civil attorney, Nathan Schadler, of the Lower Providence-based law firm Conway Schadler, filed a lawsuit on his client's behalf at the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas on May 19, 2021, court records show.

The lawsuit states that the incident began after Senator Williams entered the golf pro shop and approached the employees to complain about "their round of golf and the pace of play" during the Nov. 10, 2020 golf outing with a handful of associates.

"Senator Williams forcefully told Plaintiff that he was upset about the speed of play on the course," the lawsuit states.

Jonathan Williams soon echoed the senator's apparent request for a refund, after which Jonathan Williams "became so enraged and upset that he walked towards the counter and got close to Plaintiff's (Wagner's) face while shouting at him," the lawsuit reads. "Defendant proceeded to punch Plaintiff in the face with a closed fist."

A video obtained by 6 ABC Action News purports to show the senator first approaching employees, before Jonathan Williams steps in and apparently begins fighting with Wagner.

The complaint alleges that Wagner, despite his self-defense efforts, was dragged across the lobby of the golf pro shop to another corner of the room where Jonathan Williams continued to punch Wagner around 11 or 12 times in a row.

Wagner was eventually able to get free and call police.

The lawsuit says that when police arrived, Jonathan Williams admitted to Lower Providence Officer Niles T. Long that he had struck Wagner in the face with a closed fist, and that Jonathan Williams reiterated the same when he spoke to officers for a second time three days after the incident.

Records show that Long was the arresting officer.

The civil lawsuit contains counts of Assault and Battery and Negligence. Wagner seeks damages in excess of $50,000.

The suit says that Wagner suffered "serious physical and mental injuries" due to the defendant's "abhorrent conduct."

Court records show that Jonathan Williams is also facing criminal charges stemming from the incident. He was arrested by Lower Providence police and charged with Simple Assault, Disorderly Conduct Engage in Fighting, and Harassment. A court docket sheet in the matter shows that Jonathan Williams is scheduled to be formally arraigned on the charges on July 27 in Montgomery County Court.

Court records list Plymouth Meeting-based lawyer Joshua Marc Rudolph, of Rudolph Law Firm, as Jonathan Williams' criminal attorney. Patch reached out to Rudolph for comment but an email message was not immediately returned as of the time of publication.

Senator Williams did not appear to be charged with any crime relating to the incident involving his aide. The senator's office told Action News that he could not comment on the matter because he was a witness in the case.