We've been sued. We need your help to fight back.

 

MoveOn is being sued by an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump who paid for and organized three busloads of people to go to Washington, D.C., on January 6.

The man, Jim Worthington, has been in the news a lot in the last year because he defied Pennsylvania's coronavirus closure orders and in June 2020 reopened his 250,000-square-foot athletic club in suburban Philadelphia, placing staff and gym members at risk of catching or spreading the virus.^1,2 In December, he again defied the state's coronavirus shutdown order.³

And now, Worthington has sued MoveOn in response to a petition created by a local MoveOn member. The petition called on area schools and community organizations to drop their partnerships with Worthington's club in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection.⁴

This Trump backer is demanding what could be hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, claiming that the petition was "malicious and defamatory."

Will you chip in $3 to help defray our legal costs and fight back?

Worthington has long been a vocal supporter of Trump. Trump even held one of his infamous rallies at Worthington's business, Newtown Athletic Club, in 2016.⁵

Worthington helped form a political advocacy group called People 4 Trump, and after Trump lost the 2020 election, Worthington's group sponsored and organized 200 people to go to Washington, D.C., on January 6.^6,7 Afterward, Worthington even boasted that he "was just feet from Trump during his speech" in which Trump incited his supporters to try to overthrow the U.S. government, saying, “If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore."⁸

To be clear: This lawsuit has no merit. But we will incur significant legal costs, even if it's tossed out of court.

Will you chip in $3 to help defray our legal costs, fight back, and make sure we have the resources to keep fighting?

Thanks for all you do.

–Robert, Kate, Oscar, Jenn, and the rest of the team

Sources: 

1. "Bucks County gym owner files defamation lawsuit over petition alleging his involvement in the Capitol insurrection," The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 22, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/153685?t=4&akid=298890%2E3735812%2EbhlwPh

2. "Club Facilities," Newtown Athletic Club, accessed June 3, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/153686?t=6&akid=298890%2E3735812%2EbhlwPh

3. "Bucks County gym owner files defamation lawsuit over petition alleging his involvement in the Capitol insurrection," The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 22, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/153685?t=8&akid=298890%2E3735812%2EbhlwPh

4. Ibid.

5. "Trump, Sex, and G-Strings: The Juicy Story Behind Newtown Athletic Club," Philadelphia, June 6, 2019
https://act.moveon.org/go/153687?t=10&akid=298890%2E3735812%2EbhlwPh

6. "Bucks County gym owner files defamation lawsuit over petition alleging his involvement in the Capitol insurrection," The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 22, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/153685?t=12&akid=298890%2E3735812%2EbhlwPh

7. Ibid.

8. "NAC's Jim Worthington Files Defamation Lawsuit Against MoveOn.org," The Dom Giordano Program, April 23, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/153688?t=14&akid=298890%2E3735812%2EbhlwPh