A man accused of charging toward Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton during a campaign appearance at the Canfield Fair and injuring two people pleaded not guilty on Sept. 8 to multiple misdemeanor charges.
Patrick Havas, 38, appeared virtually from jail at his arraignment before Canfield Court Judge Molly Johnson. He pleaded not guilty to one count of disorderly conduct and three first-degree misdemeanor charges, including two counts of assault and one count of inducing panic.
Johnson set bond at $5,000 and ordered Havas to have no contact with the two injured attendees and Acton. Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro said Acton is considered a victim because of the inducing panic charge.
The incident occurred on Sept. 6 at the Canfield
Fair, a large annual event in northeast Ohio located southwest of Youngstown, where Acton was speaking at a Mahoning County Democratic Party tent. Authorities said Havas pushed through a crowd and knocked down two older adults while attempting to reach the candidate.
Deputies arrested Havas shortly after the confrontation. According to the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, he was carrying two handguns, a Taser and brass knuckles, though authorities have said none of the weapons were used during the incident.
The incident drew condemnation from several Ohio leaders, including Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who said violence and threats of violence at political and public events are "always unacceptable." Acton is running in a tight race with Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to replace DeWine.
Prosecutor says suspect sought to question Acton
Maro said Havas attended the event hoping to ask Acton questions. The two people injured in the incident had gathered inside the county Democratic Party tent to hear the candidate speak.
Havas, dressed in black clothing and wearing a hat displaying the words "respect" and "honor," shouted Acton's name before pushing through the crowd, according to Dalton Bosze, a Democratic candidate for Mahoning County auditor who was present. Havas then lunged toward Acton but did not appear to make contact with her, Bosze said.
According to Maro, video evidence from Havas' phone shows him yelling Acton's name and forcing his way through attendees before a member of the candidate's security team approached him.
"There is never any close contact near the (candidate) for governor," Maro said during a brief news conference after the arraignment.
Investigators reviewing cellphone evidence
Maro said Havas consented to a search of his cellphone, which investigators are continuing to examine. She said a keyword search on Havas’ phone did not uncover evidence of threats against Acton or signs of an apparent fixation on the candidate.
The prosecutor said the only known video of the encounter came from Havas' cellphone. Investigators are seeking additional footage and have asked the public to come forward with any recordings of the incident.
Obtaining additional video could be challenging, Maro said, because the incident occurred inside a small tent where attendees had been asked not to record Acton's remarks.
Questions emerge about political connections
The incident has also drawn attention because Patrick Havas is related to Andrew Havas, 41, a registered lobbyist and Franklin County Republican Party leader, reported the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Acton previously criticized her Republican opponent, Ramaswamy, for accepting more than $10,000 in campaign contributions from Andrew Havas. State campaign finance records show Andrew Havas has donated nearly $80,000 to Republican candidates since 2020, while Patrick Havas has not made contributions to state-level candidates.
Andrew Havas also served as a volunteer campaign chair for Republican Sen. Jon Husted before resigning after reports surfaced about a prior conviction. Court records show Andrew Havas, then 22, was accused in a case involving a 15-year-old. He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor assault charge in 2009.
A judge sentenced Andrew Havas to 180 days in the Mahoning County Jail, but then suspended half of the sentence, according to court records. He was also placed on two years of probation and ordered to have no contact with the teenager involved in the case.
Contributing: James Powel, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man pleads not guilty in Ohio fair incident involving Amy Acton
