Scott Wagner, GOP lawmaker, confronts tracker at private event; police called

Police in Pennsylvania are reportedly investigating a confrontation at a country club Tuesday between state Sen. Scott Wagner and a liberal tracker for American Bridge 21st Century, who claimed he was assaulted by the Republican gubernatorial candidate.

A video uploaded to YouTube by American Bridge showed Mr. Wagner, who is seeking to challenge Gov. Tom Wolf in next year’s election, speaking to a crowd at the Country Club of York. Mr. Wagner notices a cameraman in the back of the room and immediately starts asking who he is and what he’s doing at the private luncheon.

The tracker, who has not been identified, explained that he was tracking the event for American Bridge.

“I’m going to confiscate your camera,” Mr. Wagner responded. “You’re not a member here and you’re trespassing.

“You’re about to see your senator in action,” Mr. Wagner said.

The state lawmaker then approached the man as the audience applauded and took his camera, according to the video.

“You can’t take my camera,” the man said.

“I’m taking it!” Mr. Wagner replied. “Watch me take it. You’re trespassing. You’re on private property.”

A second video, taken by the man’s cellphone camera, The York Dispatch reported, showed him following Mr. Wagner through the building and demanding his property be returned.

“Can I please have my camera back? ’Cause it’s my property,” the man said.

It’s at that moment that Mr. Wagner appeared to try to knock the man’s phone out of his hand. The man showed his bloody finger to the camera and claimed he had been assaulted by the Republican.

“No, I didn’t assault you. Put the camera away,” Mr. Wagner said.

“I’m doing it for my own protection because I’m scared right now,” the tracker said.

Mr. Wagner then retreated into an office, presumably still holding the tracker’s camera. Most of the rest of the video is the tracker explaining the incident to two other men. The tracker said he was waiting for police to arrive so he could try and get his camera back.

“He’s breaking the law,” the tracker said of Mr. Wagner. “I’ll leave right now, but he has my property.”

Mr. Wagner eventually poked his head out of the office and said, “This is a private club and if I were you I’d leave,” according to the video.

“I was assaulted, I am waiting to talk to the police,” the activist responded. “I am bleeding, sir, because you attacked me.”

The activist then followed the two men outside, where they prevented him from re-entering.

According to The York Dispatch, Spring Garden Township police were called to the scene and are currently investigating the incident.

Mr. Wagner issued a statement to the newspaper Wednesday saying he was simply taking a stand.

“Yesterday a tracker … lied and trespassed on private property for a speech that I was giving in my role as a senator,” the state senator said. “Instead of leaving when he was asked, the tracker continued to harass me and the people at the event, and finally I assisted in removing his camera. There are times when there is no choice but to stand up and confront the cheater in the room.”

Lizzy Price, a spokeswoman for American Bridge, said her organization has been tracking Republican candidates since 2013, but this confrontation was a first.

She said Mr. Wagner eventually returned the tracker’s camera but not the memory card. They were still able to publish the videos because they were also saved to the camera, she told The York Dispatch.