Halvorson combats harassment charge
UNIONTOWN -- Art Halvorson is asking Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower to prosecute a woman who alleges the congressional candidate grabbed her wrist during a conversation at the Fayette County Fair in August.
Halvorson, a retired Coast Guard captain, was charged earlier this week with a summary violation of harassment. His campaign said he wants to prosecute Megan Boocks for filing a false report with state police.
Trooper Justin Handlin issued the non-traffic citation on Tuesday, more than two months after the alleged incident.
What actually happened on Aug. 6 in Dunbar Township, Fayette County, has been a political football. The Herald Standard in Uniontown first reported the incident.
Meghan Boocks, 22, was manning a booth on Aug. 6 for U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Everett, at the Fayette County Fair, according to the Herald Standard. She claimed Halvorson grabbed her tightly by the wrist around 4 p.m. and asked her about her involvement with the campaign. She told a security officer.
Halvorson, 61, of Manns Choice, Bedford County, told the Herald Standard that he never touched Boocks.
He told Public Opinion on Tuesday that he questioned two staffers seated at the booth, but there was no physical contact. Halvorson said he asked Boocks about Shuster’s campaign manager.
The charge was “manufactured by one of Congressman Bill Shuster’s political operatives as a desperate October surprise,” according to a statement from the Halvorson campaign.
"He's pulling out all the tricks," Halvorson said. "He has a 44-year-old playbook."
Halvorson said he also is filing a defamation suit against Boocks. A case had not been filed by close of day on Thursday.
He also wants to have Magisterial District Judge Richard Kasunic II removed from the case because the judge “inexplicably scheduled the hearing between Ms. Boocks and Halvorson in December, so as to prevent Halvorson from clearing his good name before the election.”
Casey Contres, Shuster's campaign manager, said state police investigated the incident before filing the charges against Halvorson.
"Not only is he (Halvorson) attempting to continue to harass and intimidate Miss Boocks with his continued remarks in the media and threats of a lawsuit," Contres said. "He is now calling into question the credibility of Magistrate Kasunic and the Pennsylvania State Police, one of the most respected police organizations in the country, who made the decision to file these charges against him."
Four GOP county committee members resign to endorse Halvorson
The summary violation against Halvorson is defined in the Pennsylvania Crimes Code as when a person “strikes, shoves, kicks or otherwise subjects the other person to physical contact, or attempts or threatens to do the same.”
Halvorson will run against Shuster as Democratic nominee
Halvorson narrowly lost the Republican nomination in May to Shuster, but won the Democratic nomination with a surprising write-in vote. Halvorson, a tea party conservative, accepted the Democrats' nomination.
Shuster, Halvorson and Adam Sedlock Jr., a Democrat from Uniontown, are running for Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District seat. The district includes Franklin County.
Election Day in Nov. 8.
Jim Hook, 717-262-4759