A controversial political protester in The Villages won an acquittal in a case in which he had been accused of stalking a fellow resident who differed with him on politics.
It was the No. 8 story in 2022 in The Villages.
Ed McGinty originally was arrested in 2021 after reportedly showing up at the home of a woman in The Villages with whom he has been locked in a long-running, bitter political feud. He had been banned from the Hadley pool the previous day after arguing with the ardent Trump supporter, who had been wearing a “Joe Biden Sucks” T-shirt. McGinty has become well-known for his anti-Trump protests in The Villages, which involved big signs on display on and around his golf cart.
The Village of Hadley resident was charged with stalking after showing up at the woman’s home in The Villages. However, McGinty was acquitted of that charge in April after the prosecutor’s office failed to prove its case.
McGinty also was charged with violating an injunction – while free on bond in the stalking case – when he returned to the Hadley Pool and parked near his political nemesis’ golf cart. That charge was later dismissed.
