More than 1,700 people have signed an online petition calling on numerous groups and community organizations in Bucks County to end their partnerships with Newtown Athletic Club after the gym's owner organized a bus trip to Washington as part of a planned protest against the certification of Joe Biden as the nation's next president.
Jim Worthington, Newtown Athletic Club owner and founder of the People 4 Trump organization, has faced criticism after he organized a bus trip of nearly 200 people to the nation's capital for a rally hosted by President Trump. Some attendees of that rally later stormed the capital and caused a riot where five people died.
On Saturday, Worthington issued a statement to clarify that none of those individuals took part in the storming of the Capitol building.
The petition was launched Saturday by Greg Bullough, of Doylestown, who said schools, businesses and medical facilities should distance themselves from the athletic club.
"The owner of Newtown Athletic Club, a notorious supporter of Donald Trump, organized three busloads of seditionists to converge on the US Capitol on January 6th," Bullough posted on Facebook. "His club's web page has a large list of 'community partners' including businesses, medical providers, our community college, and private schools, all of whom he likes to be associated with."
The petition: https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/end-partnerships-with-newtown-athletic-club
The petition asks the following organizations listed on NAC's "Community Partner's" page to end their partnership and association with this business: