Man Who Rushed Trump Stage Saturday Charged Federally
— -- Federal authorities have charged Thomas DiMassimo, the man who rushed the stage at a Donald Trump campaign event on Saturday in Vandalia, Ohio.
DiMassimo is charged with one count of knowingly entering restricted grounds. He is scheduled to appear in federal court on March 23 at 10:30 a.m. in Dayton, Ohio.
A criminal information was filed in the case by the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Ohio, Monday.
DiMassimo’s attorney, Jon Paul Rion, tells ABC News, "All the evidence is clear that Thomas really meant to do nothing except to assert a political view point.”
DiMassimo was taken immediately into custody by Secret Service Special Agents and Dayton Police Officers following the incident, according to the Secret Service. He was then charged locally with disorderly conduct and inducing panic. He was released after posting bond.
Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy on Capitol Hill Tuesday said that agents respond only when there is a breech in secure areas.
"If someone, for example, comes into the buffer zone or secure zone, we're gonna respond to that, as we saw in Dayton, Ohio, just this past weekend," said Clancy.
He added, "We will remove those individuals, but we do not interfere with people's First Amendment rights. People have the right to voice their opinions and it's for the host committee to decide whether or not that's disruptive to that event."
Clancy also said that the Secret Service has no role on how campaigns choose to deal with protesters.
"If there are protesters, if there are people that are disrupting the event, that is not our primary responsibility,” Clancy explained. “We are there to protect our protectee.”
