Senator Mark Grisanti, a Republican from the Buffalo area, says he tried to stop an argument between two tribal members at the casino bar when one of the men attacked him.

In the fracas, Grisanti’s wife was beaten by two women. She suffered a concussion and other injuries.

One of the women accused by police in the attack says the Senator punched her husband as he left the casino, following the fight.

Grisanti denies the accusation, and says the only people he may have hit were those holding him back from rescuing his wife.

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat," he said. 

Grisanti was at a Senate hearing on prescription drug abuse.  

He left early, saying he didn’t want all of the attention over the Friday night incident to detract from the proceedings.