Newt Gingrich Sued For Assault And Battery

Posted by Joseph Lee on 02.04.2012

That's not good for his campaign...

Newt Gingrich is being sued by a Florida man who claims Gingrich roughed him up outside the Florida Republican Presidential Primary earlier this week because he was carrying a sign that supported another candidate.

Edward Dillard filed the lawsuit yesterday in the US District court in Florida. He said he was minding his own business when Gingrich and his wife came to the polling place. Newt and Callista came up to him and shook his hand. Dillard was standing outside of a canopy set up with a microphone stand at the time.

Dillard says that Newt noticed his Ron Paul shirt and "immediately turned his back" to him and went to other people. He then claims that several of Gingrich's security came to him and tried to "intimidate him into moving from the spot."

Dillard was wearing open-toed sandals at the time and says one of the agents "lifted his heeled shoe over Dillard's right foot and dug the back of it into his skin, twisting it side-to-side like he was stomping out a cigarette, causing a fracture to Dillard's right foot."

After a minor fight, he says the guy who stomped on his foot then shouted, "Everyone step on his toes!"

Dillard is suing Gingrich, the campaign and the security firm for assault and battery and seeking unspecified damages. Gingrich's campaign has not commented.