SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — South Kingstown Town Councilman Jay Wegimont has been acquitted by a district court judge in his misdemeanor assault trial.
The charge came from an alleged physical encounter between Wegimont and Narragansett GOP Chairman Anthony D’Ellena. Wegimont was accused of leaving a June Town Council meeting in progress and assaulting D’Ellena in the hallway.
BACKGROUND: South Kingstown councilor’s assault case now in judge’s hands
In the bench trial, D’Ellena testified that Wegimont made physical contact with him twice, claiming Wegimont was unhappy with social media posts D’Ellena made about his past DUI arrests.
Wegimont, a 34-year-old Democrat, was first elected to the Town Council in 2024. He was also previously a spokesperson for Providence Public Schools, but is no longer employed by the district.
In a statement, D’Ellena told 12 News “it’s open season” on him after the decision.
“Any Democrat I challenge online can now physically assault me without consequences and the justice system just shrugs,” D’Ellena said. “This was an open-and-shut case. But like clockwork, Jay Wegimont, a lifelong beneficiary of Democrat privilege, walks away again without facing a single consequence.”
ALSO READ: Trial begins for South Kingstown councilor accused of assaulting local GOP official
D’Ellena explained he “submitted undeniable evidence,” including “footage showing people reacting, looking into the hallway” because they “heard the altercation.” (D’Ellena said the footage comes from around the three-hour mark in a recording of the June 9 council meeting.)
The defense argued that D’Ellena was trying to have the councilman removed from office and replaced by a Republican. (After the alleged incident became public, Wegimont faced a call by the R.I. Republican Party to resign and the South Kingstown GOP created an online petition calling for him to step down.)
D’Ellena’s characterization of the alleged assault on social media was also questioned by the defense.
READ MORE: RI GOP calls on South Kingstown councilman to resign over alleged confrontation
In a statement of his own, Wegimont thanked the judge, Mary McCaffrey, for her handling of the case and said he “was found not guilty and fully exonerated of all charges.”
“In her decision, Judge McCaffrey not only affirmed what I have said from the beginning — that I am innocent — but also found the allegations and testimony against me to be wholly lacking in credibility,” Wegimont said. “This judgment goes far beyond a not-guilty verdict; it is a complete vindication.”
“I am deeply grateful to my attorneys, John MacDonald and Don Lally, for their steadfast representation, and to my family, friends, and the people of South Kingstown and beyond for their faith and support,” Wegimont continued. “I also want to thank my colleagues on the South Kingstown Town Council and the South Kingstown Democratic Committee for standing by me throughout this process.”
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