Reporter: Mont. GOP hopeful attacked him
BOZEMAN, Mont. — The Republican candidate for Montana’s sole congressional seat was charged with misdemeanor assault Wednesday night after witnesses told police Greg Gianforte grabbed a reporter by the neck and slammed him to the ground the night before polls close in the nationally watched election.
Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin made the announcement late Wednesday in a statement posted to the county website. Gianforte would face a maximum $500 fine or six months in jail if convicted. The statement added that the reporter’s injuries did not meet the legal definition of felony assault.
Gianforte was in a private office preparing for an interview with Fox News when reporter Ben Jacobs of The Guardian came in without permission, campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon said.
The Fox News crew watched in astonishment as, after Jacobs pressed him on the GOP health care bill, “Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him,” Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna wrote in an article. She added that Gianforte then began to punch Jacobs.
In an audio recording posted by The Guardian, the reporter asks the congressional candidate about the GOP’s health care bill, which was just evaluated hours earlier by the Congressional Budget Office.
“We’ll talk to you about that later,” Gianforte says on the recording, referring Jacobs to a spokesman.
When Jacobs says that there won’t be time, Gianforte says “Just —” and there is a crashing sound. Gianforte yells, “The last guy who came here did the same thing,” and a shaken-sounded Jacobs tells the candidate he just body-slammed him. “Get the hell out of here,” Gianforte says. The sheriff ’s office said Gianforte was cited Wednesday night. He has until June 7 to appear in court on the charge.
The incident is a last-minute curveball in Thursday’s race, which was partly seen as a referendum on Donald Trump’s presidency. The majority of voters were expected to have already cast ballots through early voting, and it was unclear how much of an effect it may have.
Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist, who declined to comment, are seeking to fill the state’s seat in the U.S. House left vacant when Ryan Zinke resigned to join Trump’s Cabinet as secretary of the Interior Department.
Gianforte, a wealthy businessman, lost a race against Montana’s Democratic governor in November while Trump won the state by 20 points. In the congressional race, Gianforte has tried to tie himself to the president and been boosted by visits from Vice President Mike Pence and Donald Trump, Jr. Democrats were hoping an upset would send a message to the GOP that Trump’s souring approval ratings could damage their political fortunes even in deep red states.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that it would launch as many Facebook ads as possible about the incident, targeting Montana Democratic voters who might not otherwise vote Thursday. The Committee also said Gianforte must quit the race and the Republican Party should publicly denounce him.
The Gianforte campaign Wednesday night released a statement blaming the incident on Jacobs. It contends he “aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face and began asking badgering questions” before being asked to leave.
Gianforte asked Jacobs to lower a phone that was being used as an audio recorder, then tried to grab it, the campaign said in a statement. Jacobs then grabbed Gianforte’s wrist and both fell to the ground, Scanlon said.
The 45-second recording does not contain a request from Gianforte that Jacobs lower his phone. Acuna, the Fox News reporter, wrote that “at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte.”