Greg Gianforte, Montana House Candidate, Charged With Assault Ahead Of Election

Even as Montana voters head to the polls in the special House election Thursday morning, Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate and front-runner in the race, is facing assault charges. He will have to appear in court for allegedly body slamming journalist Ben Jacobs on Wednesday. The race had already drawn extensive media attention, but it exploded into a national spectacle and scandal when Jacobs, who covers politics for The Guardian, reported the assault on Twitter Wednesday night.

Jacobs approached the candidate at a campaign event earlier in the day while Gianforte was preparing for another interview with Fox News, and Gianforte became irritated by Jacobs' questions about the Republican health care plan. Gianforte then "body slammed" Jacobs, according to the reporter's account, knocking him to the ground and breaking his glasses. Jacobs ended up in an ambulance and called the police. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

In a statement, the Gianforte campaign disputed the reporter's story. It said that Jacobs entered a private office to speak with the candidate without permission, adding that Jacobs "aggressively shoved a recorder in [Gianforte's] face" and asked "badgering questions." It says Jacobs was asked to leave. The statement continues:

After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. [Gianforte] then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed [Gianforte's] wrist, and spun away from [Gianforte], pushing them both to the ground. It's unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ.

Jacobs posted an audio recording of the incident:

During the recording, Gianforte never asks Jacobs to leave the room; he also never asks Jacob to lower the recorder. And while Gianforte's voice becomes agitated and aggressive, Jacobs' voice does not.

Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna reported that she and two of her colleagues witnessed the event. Her account matches Jacobs' and contradicts Gianforte's:

Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the man, as he moved on top the reporter and began yelling something to the effect of "I'm sick and tired of this!"
Jacobs scrambled to his knees and said something about his glasses being broken. He asked Faith, Keith and myself for our names. In shock, we did not answer. He then said he wanted the police called and went to leave. Gianforte looked at the three of us and repeatedly apologized.

She added: "To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte, who left the area after giving statements to local sheriff's deputies."

Reporters discovered quickly that the county's Sheriff Brian Gootkin had donated $250 to Gianforte's campaign. In a statement, Gootkin acknowledged the donation and added: "This contribution has nothing to do with our investigation which is now complete."

The Billings Gazette, the largest newspaper in Montana, announced in an unprecedented move late Wednesday night that it was withdrawing its previous endorsement of Gianforte.

"We previously supported Gianforte because he said he was ready to listen, to compromise, to take the tough questions," the editorial board wrote. "Everything he said was obliterated by his surprising actions that were recorded and witnessed Wednesday. We simply cannot trust him. Because trust — not agreement — is essential in the role of representative, we cannot stand by him."

Two other Montana papers, the Missoulian and the Independent Record, also withdrew their endorsements of Gianforte.

In a statement released after the incident, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee demanded that Gianforte immediately withdraw from the race.

Montana Special Election Coverage

"Greg Gianforte must immediately withdraw his candidacy after his alleged violent assault of an innocent journalist," it said. "Further, Speaker Ryan and the National Republican Campaign Committee should not waste another minute before publicly denouncing their candidate and apologizing for the millions of dollars they spent on his behalf."

Jacobs previously reported that Gianforte, a wealthy software mogul, has around $250,000 invested in Russian index funds that own shares in companies that are under sanctions by the United States.

"The Guardian is deeply appalled by how our reporter, Ben Jacobs, was treated in the course of doing his job as a journalist while reporting on the Montana special election," the paper said in a statement. "We are committed to holding power to account and we stand by Ben and our team of reporters for the questions they ask and the reporting that is produced."

In The Guardian's article about the incident, Jacobs said, “This is the strangest thing that has ever happened to me in reporting on politics.”

Alexis Levinson, a reporter for BuzzFeed, was at the event along with Jacobs.

"This happened behind a half closed door, so I didn't see it all, but here's what it looked like from the outside," she tweeted. "Ben walked into a room where a local tv crew was set up for an interview with Gianforte. All of a sudden I heard a giant crash and saw Ben's feet fly in the air as he hit the floor. Heard very angry yelling (as did all the volunteers in the room) - sounded like Gianforte."

She added: "Ben walked out holding his broken glasses in his hand and said 'he just bodyslammed me.'"

Levinson said Gianforte left the event without speaking.

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Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images