ROSENDALE, NY—Controversial upstate New York Congressman Maurice Hinchey has been ordered to town court to answer a charge that he struck a constituent during a July event.

Democrat Hinchey, who represents Ithaca and much of the state’s Southern Tier, has been directed to appear in Rosendale Town Court on September 9 to answer a charge of Harassment Second Degree,

According to the Kingston Daily Freeman the charge stems from an altercation between Hinchey and a local member of the National Rifle Association:

Paul Lendvay, 46, of Rosendale, the chairman of the Catskill Regional Friends of the National Rifle Association, had said earlier this month he expected to file a complaint against Hinchey, claiming the congressman smacked him in the head July 19 during the town's street fair.
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He said Hinchey approached the table and picked up one of the guns to look at it. Lendvay said he told the congressman to put the rifle down - noting that part of the NRA's agreement with Rosendale police was that no one except the people manning the table would be allowed to touch the weapons - and that when Hinchey "took his sweet time" in obliging, an argument ensued.

During the argument, Lendvay said, Hinchey approached him where he sat and "hit me on the top of my head.”

Through a spokesperson, Hinchey has denied the charge and speculated it is politically motivated.

The volatile Hinchey is no stranger to controversy for his actions. In 2003, he drew fire for suggesting that U.S. soldiers in Iraq were participating in a “massacre,” and, in 2005, he accused Karl Rove of masterminding the forged National Guard memos that led to the retirement of CBS anchor Dan Rather.

He also drew attention that year for “racking up a stunning $161,393 [in free travel] footed by special-interest groups.”

More recently, he was in the news for suggesting that the Democrat-controlled congress was planning to nationalize the oil industry. He later tried to retract those remarks.

If convicted as charged, Hinchey faces up to fifteen days in jail, together with fines and mandatory state surcharges.