Congressman-elect avoids jail in assault of reporter

HELENA, Mont. — Congressman-elect Greg Gianforte avoided jail time after pleading guilty Monday to an election-eve assault on a reporter that turned the race for Montana’s lone U.S. House seat into a political spectacle.

The Republican tech entrepreneur instead will serve 40 hours of community service and attend 20 hours of anger management classes for throwing Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs to the ground at Gianforte’s campaign headquarters in Bozeman on May 24.

For all the national attention the audiotaped assault brought to the race in its waning hours, the judge, prosecutors and the new congressman’s attorneys maintained Monday he was treated like any other first-time misdemeanor offender.

There was one notable exception, however: Gallatin County Justice of the Peace Rick West said he would allow prosecutors and the defense several weeks to argue over his order that the rookie politician be fingerprinted, photographed and booked like other defendants.

West ordered Gianforte to pay $385 in fines and court costs in addition to his 180-day suspended jail sentence, meaning he will be under court supervision until late November and will be able to petition to have the conviction removed from his record.

Gianforte is expected to travel to Washington within the next few weeks to be sworn in.

“This was not a proud moment, but I’m ready to move on,” Gianforte said outside the courtroom.

Audio posted by Jacobs shortly after the attack recorded sounds of a scuffle, followed by Gianforte yelling for the reporter to “get the hell out of here.” Jacobs tweeted that Gianforte had “body slammed” him and broke his glasses while he tried to question him.

A Fox News reporter who witnessed the attack said Gianforte pushed Jacobs to the ground and punched him.