Gianforte Assault Confidential Criminal Justice Information Files & Additional Audio

(Audio and PDF files have been redacted to remove any phone, email, address or birthdate information to avoid potential harassment or identitity theft.)

Gianforte Assault of Ben Jacobs audio compilation (28 min) (due to number of hits, some are having difficulty with the streaming, so I have also uploaded it to my podcast channel which can handle the traffic better, link below)

Gianforte Assault of Ben Jacobs audio compilation (28 min) podcast source with better streaming

- knowing that most people will not listen to all the files below, I have compiled key statements from each to help present the facts of the assault. I begin with the lies and bias: Gianforte's Sheriff interview, Gianforte's Press Release, statements from staffers Seekins-Crowe and Elle, volunteers Howard-Wolf and Marshall.

Next I present the fact and truth: Missoulian article on Hamilton campaign stop, the Paul Lewis Guardian interview that upset Gianforte, the assault audio from Ben Jacobs, the Fox News team statements: Acuna, Mangan and Railey, closing with a statement from Gianforte's apology to Ben Jacob's letter and Jacob's statement from the trial.

Greg Gianforte mug shot

Greg Gianforte Arrest Report

Greg Gianforte Assault Case Summary

Det. Esper Report

Det. Boxmeyer Report

Det. Mayland Report

Ben Jacobs Gianforte Assau lt Audio File - Jacobs first called the police, then immediately uploaded audio to The Guardian.

On the Scene Interviews by Gallatin County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Scott Secor - includes Gianforte interview (he declined another interview). This audio is edited to reduce some of the wind distortion, saved to FLAC for higher definition. GIANFORTE segment (in his car) begins at 6:35. He states, "the liberal media trying to make a story", "national media trying to create a story".

Ben Jacobs Interview - Guardian reporter, Washington D.C.

Alicia Acuna Interview , eye witness- Fox News Reporter, Denver, Gianforte grabbed him by both sides of his neck, "slammed him on the ground, and jumped on top of him ... started punching him, saying he was sick and tired of this", when the reporter asked for our names, "we didn't saying anything, we were in shock", punching him 2 or 3 times, "I've covered a lot of campaigns and been around a lot of aggressive reporters, this guy didn't strike me as being physically aggressive, he didn't touch him", "Ginaforte did not seem like he was defending himself, that's for dang sure, this was so out of nowhere."

Faith Mangan , eye witness- Fox News Field Producer, Denver, In reference to Ben Jacobs questioning Gianforte, "I actually for some reason just thought he was a campaign worker, or an over zealous volunteer... I didn't realize that he was another member of the media", "I saw movement and they went down on the ground, and Greg the candidate was on top of, this man that has since been identified as a reporter and I saw movement of his arms that led me to believe punching the guy", "the three of us, myself, Alicia and Keith were just stunned, staring", "I've done a lot of work following politics and running around by myself with my own equipment following candidates, I've been an embed, I've covered at least two presidential elections now, and I've never see anything so shocking like this, you know, to just not care for the questions and take someone down like that", "What I took away from it was that Greg took this guy down, it's stunning to me because I do similar work, you know, this is just mindblowing."

Keith Railey , eye witness- Fox News photographer Los Angeles based, "It happened pretty quick, Gianforte grabbed him around the neck and body slammed him down to the ground. Some punches were being thrown, I couldn't see where they were landing because I had a table between where the altercation was taking place", in relation to how many punches were thrown, "approximately 2 punches were thrown, I'm not sure. At that point I started to go towards, I wanted to get around the table, but I was blocked, and then they released from each other and stood up", "Gianforte was on top and the reporter on the bottom and he was like swinging pretty fast", "How many times do you think he swung? Like twice, maybe 3 times, but I'm not sure", "I've done this for 23-30 years, a lot, I've never seen anything like this, its still stunning, I've seen violence before, everything was mellow and it went to ten in a blink of an eye", "it was very onesided", "Who would be the aggressor? Gianforte."

Kerri Lin Seekins-Crowe , partial witness (saw them on the ground and afterward) - Gianforte Scheduler, on the drive from the airport to the campaign office they were discussing "having multiple problems with the Guardian and Buzzfeed", they were "very duplicitous and aggressive", "they have not been honest", "I looked, because there were some reporters in the room and I was very worried at the time that they had seen the whole thing", "having heard in a conversation how aggressive this guy is, I was thinking at that time that the reporter had gone after Greg, because of our conversation in the car", in relation to investigation, "plus there were some people there that I, when they asked there were some people around, it would not have been favorable for them to get anymore information, so I didn't say anything",

Joshua Elle , partial witness (saw them on the ground and afterward) - Gianforte driver, stated Jacobs had not "gotten in Greg's face" at the Helena event, prior to Bozeman. Concerning the assault, standing just outside the door to the room, "I heard a sound, looked back, then I saw movement and bodies on the ground", "in the car, yeah, that's where they talked about the Guardiand and 3 times previously the reporter had just gotten in Greg's face, so like, we don't want to give him any time, they're jerks, they're not being good about this, unprofessional, all this stuff", "I heard a commotion and then I turned around, saw the bodies moving on the floor,yelling and like striking out", "So it looked like he was going for the head and then after seeing the guy afterwards, like he had two big marks on the side of his face, kind of assuming that is where he connected", "It's kind of like the reporter going and getting in his face, clearly must have triggered", "I assume he was getting right in his face, but maybe I'm biased in that regard", "I think he (Jacobs) was probably revelling in the moment that he just broke a huge story", "he probably called his newspaper before he called you guys", "I think it would only be my biased view of the reporters premeditation for causing a ruckus, getting in his face."

* Holly Howard-Wolf and Karen Marshall accused Alexis Levinson (Buzzfeed journalist) of recording Holly illegally. No photographic, audio or video evidence corroborated their account. Someone saw Jacobs and Levinson talking together. It appears it was guilt by association and possible media bias.

Alexis Levinson - Buzzfeed reporter, Washington D.C.

Holly Howard-Wolf - Gianforte campaign volunteer, "She was getting angry, provoking me, getting right up to my face", "you are recording me, I just watched you", "this gal was obviously trying to cause problems", "evidently she had something to do with the Guardian reporter", "I just thought...I have no idea what she was trying to achieve, I've been around that kind of thing, there are people who purposely try to provoke you, and that's absolutely what she was doing", "I bet you 10 to 1 that guy must have done something, I'm sure he probably did."