Gianforte convicted of assaulting Guardian reporter – he won special election for congressional seat a day after the assault
Montana’s newest congressman, Greg Gianforte, pleaded guilty to assaulting a reporter and was sentenced to community service and anger management. He will not serve any time in jail.
Gallatin County Justice of the Peace Rick West sentenced the Republican technology entrepreneur to 40 hours of community service, 20 hours of anger management counseling and ordered him to pay a $385 fine for the misdemeanor. If he remains law abiding for 180 days, he can petition for the conviction to be removed from his record. The Republican technology entrepreneur entered his plea in court on Monday, and his arraignment and sentence on the misdemeanor charge followed.
Gianforte requested the court hearing after reaching a civil settlement this week. Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs said Gianforte knocked Jacobs to the ground when he asked him a question on May 24. Jacobs said Gianforte “body slammed” him after the reporter asked a question about the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of a health care bill the day before the May 25 election.
Audio of the encounter taken by Jacobs recorded sounds of a scuffle, followed by Gianforte yelling for the reporter to “get the hell out of here.” Police charged Gianforte that night.
Jacobs signed a release agreeing not to sue Gianforte. In exchange, Gianforte wrote a letter of apology to Jacobs and pledged to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Both Gianforte and Jacobs have said in statements they want to put the episode behind them.
Gianforte is expected to be sworn in next month after defeating Democrat Rob Quist in the special congressional election to serve the remainder of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s term. Zinke had won a second term as Montana’s congressman last November before President Donald Trump tapped him for the cabinet post. Gianforte cruised to victory after weathering a political firestorm, observed CBS Billings affiliate KTVQ-TV, winning 48 of Montana’s 56 counties.
Republicans vigorously campaigned to defend the seat they had held for decades. Democrats sought to capitalize on a wave of activism triggered by Trump’s election in an attempt to take it back for the first time since 1997.
The 56-year-old Gianforte, coming off an unsuccessful bid for governor last fall, defeated Quist, the front man for the popular musical group Mission Mountain Wood Band, by six percentage points.
