Greg Gianforte, Montana Congressman-Elect Accused Of Attacking Journalist, To Plead Guilty: Report

Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate and winner in Montana's special election for the House seat vacated by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, will plead guilty to assaulting Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs, the Associated Press reported Friday.

Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert told The Associated Press that Gianforte will enter the plea on Monday when he is scheduled to be arraigned and sentenced on the charge. The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office charged Gianforte with misdemeanor assault for the alleged assault.

On the eve of the election in Montana, Gianforte allegedly body slammed Jacobs and broke his glasses. Jacobs later posted audio of the incident where Gianforte can be heard losing his temper after Jacobs asked then-candidate Gianforte about the CBO score released for the Republican health care plan. Jacobs' own account of the assault was backed up by a Fox News crew that was setting up for an interview with Gianforte at the time the alleged assault occurred.

While the Gianforte campaign pushed back on Jacobs' account, trying to put the blame on him, the Fox News reporter present in the room wrote in a news article that at no point did Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte.

Gianforte ended up winning the election. He apologized to Jacobs and pledged to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Jacobs accepted Gianforte's apology.

Supporters of Jacobs also set up a GoFundMe account for the journalist, raising money to buy him new glasses. However, Jacobs said he would take care of getting his own glasses and asked that any donations go to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Jacobs also donated his broken glasses to the Newseum, the museum in Washington, D.C., that is dedicated to the media.

Patch will update this report.

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