Republican Businessman & Democratic Former Congressional Candidate Settle Defamation Lawsuit

The lawsuit between the politically-connected owner of the Newtown Athletic Club, a Democratic former candidate for Congress, and a digital agency her campaign used has been settled.

On Friday, Jim Worthington, the Upper Makefield Township businessman and Republican, settled a 2022 lawsuit against Democratic former First Congressional District candidate Ashley Ehasz, a Bensalem Township resident, and firm Foglamp Digital.

The dollar amount wasn’t released, but money was involved in the settlement.

“The parties agreed that Ehasz would make a contribution to Jim’s ‘Have a Heart Foundation’ that distributes money to worthy local organizations and individuals,” said Chris Baron, a spokesperson for Worthington.

Worthington filed the lawsuit after he took issue with statements Ehasz made related to the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.

Worthington, who has been a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump and is close friends with Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, said statements by Ehasz damaged his businesses and reputation.

In the lawsuit, Worthington alleged Ehasz’s campaign website included information that the businessman was “a major funder of buses from Bucks County to the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.”

The fundraising email that was sent by Foglamp Digital and Ehasz’s campaign said Worthington “spent thousands of dollars and organized busloads of Trump supporters to attend the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally that turned into a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021,” according to the lawsuit.

Worthington made the claim that Ehasz defamed him and “stated and/or implied” the businessman funded travel for people who took part in the attack.

Following the January 6 attack on the capitol, Worthington put out a statement that said he helped organize buses with about 200 people traveling from Bucks County to Washington D.C. to hear the outgoing president speak.

“Not one of them was near the Capitol entrance when the rioting took place nor were most of them aware of any activities at the capitol until after they got on the bus,” Worthington wrote in a statement on January 9, 2021.

In his statement this week, Worthington said he has been the target of attacks linking him to the “violent insurrection and riot.”

“I am happy to report that Ashley and her team admitted the accusations were false and apologized for publishing them and not retracting them earlier.  I have accepted their apologies,” he said.

Worthington said he and Ehasz will meet in the coming weeks to get to know one another.

“It is my sincere hope that we can focus on who we really are as individuals and what we have in common as Americans rather than what separates us.  It would be awesome if we all did that more often,” he said.

“Unfortunately, despite those efforts, sometimes we get it wrong,” Foglamp Digital said in their statement.

Ehasz issued a statement agreeing with Foglamp Digital’s apology and admitted she did not correct her statements about Worthington in a “timely basis.”

While Worthington has not been shown to have any link to the attack on the U.S. Capitol, FBI special agents visited Worthingon’s home in the days after. In a radio interview, as LevittownNow.com reported in 2021, Worthington told the hosts he contacted Fitzpatrick for advice on what to do.

Worthington remains involved in a separate defamation lawsuit against a progressive group and a Bucks County man relating to a petition that called on local businesses and organizations to cut their ties with the Newtown Athletic Club and Worthington following the insurrection.

Worthington’s full statement:

For the past two years, I have been the target of attacks falsely accusing me of organizing and supporting a violent insurrection and riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.  Anyone who knows me knows that I will fight to protect my reputation and principles.  So, when Democratic U.S. Congressional candidate Ashley Ehasz and her campaign team repeated those false accusations, I filed a lawsuit to do just that. 

I am happy to report that Ashley and her team admitted the accusations were false and apologized for publishing them and not retracting them earlier.  I have accepted their apologies.  In the coming weeks, I am looking forward to meeting with Ashley so she can get to know me and in turn I can learn more about her.  It is my sincere hope that we can focus on who we really are as individuals and what we have in common as Americans rather than what separates us.  It would be awesome if we all did that more often.

My fight against those who started these false accusations to hurt me, my business and other businesses in Bucks County is continuing.  Stay tuned.  For now, I would appreciate it if you would share this post to let your family and friends know that Ashley has admitted these statements are false and apologized to me and my family.  Thank you for all your support.

Below is Foglamp Digital’s statement:

Truth matters. As a company, we at Foglamp Digital strive to get the facts straight. Unfortunately, despite those efforts, sometimes we get it wrong.

In January 2022, we sent a fundraising email on behalf of the Ashley Ehasz for Congress campaign about Pennsylvania resident, Jim Worthington. The email, and a website linked within the email, stated that Mr. Worthington funded buses from Bucks County, Pennsylvania to the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The email also stated that Mr. Worthington was a major hinder of the January 6th insurrection. These statements were false.

Here is the truth. An organization founded by Mr. Worthington sponsored a bus trip for people to attend a separate rally on January 6th in Washington, D.C; not the subsequent attack on the Capitol. Mr. Worthington was not involved in the January 6th insurrection. In fact, he has repeatedly and publicly denounced all acts of violence and vandalism that occurred that day. We are sorry that Mr. Worthington has had to take legal action to vindicate his good name and reputation. Mr. Worthington deserves to have the record cleared. We apologize to Mr. Worthington and his family for the harm that these statements have caused.

Ashley Ehasz: I agree with the entirety of Foglamp Digital’s apology. I also owe Mr. Worthington additional and separate apologies for approving the content of the email and website containing the harmful statements about him, and for not correcting the record on a timely basis.

Ehasz’s full statement:

I agree with the entirety of Foglamp Digital’s apology. I also owe Mr. Worthington additional and separate apologies for approving the content of the email and website containing the harmful statements about him, and for not correcting the record on a timely basis.

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