Mont. Republican Greg Gianforte apologizes for assaulting Guardian reporter

Ryan W. Miller | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Montana House candidate charged with assault The Republican candidate for Montana's US House Seat, Greg Gianforte, is charged with misdemeanor assault of a reporter, hours before polls open. Jacobs, who works for The Guardian, recorded the sound of his confrontation with Gianforte. (May 25)

Montana Republican Greg Gianforte formally apologized to The Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs for body slamming the journalist on the eve of Gianforte's election to the U.S. House of Representatives. The House member-elect has also pledged to donate $50,000 to the non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists.

"My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful," he said in a letter to Jacobs Wednesday. "As both a candidate for office and a public official, I should be held to a high standard in my interactions with the press and the public. My treatment of you did not meet that standard."

Gianforte also confirmed that Jacobs did not initiate physical contact with the Montana politician. "I had no right to assault you," Gianforte added.

Greg Gianforte's "sincere apology" to @Bencjacobs includes a $50,000 donation to the Committee to Protect Journalists pic.twitter.com/r7Fr3E36zt — Gregory Korte (@gregorykorte) June 8, 2017

Jacobs accepted Gianforte's apology, saying, "I hope the constructive resolution of this incident reinforces for all the importance of respecting the freedom of the press and the First Amendment and encourages more civil and thoughtful discourse in our country."

The politician still faces a misdemeanor charge for the altercation, but a judge granted an extension until June 20 for Gianforte to appear in court, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The assault occurred on May 24 when Jacobs pressed Gianforte on a health care bill. Jacobs later tweeted that Gianforte had "body slammed" him and broken his glasses.

Greg Gianforte just body slammed me and broke my glasses — Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) May 24, 2017

Gianforte's campaign initially released a statement claiming Jacobs had "aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg's face," and that the altercation occurred when "Jacobs grabbed Greg's wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground. However, a Fox News reporter's first-hand account of the event claimed that "Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him."

Gianforte won the race despite two Montana papers — the Missoulian and the Billings Gazette — rescinding their endorsements. The House seat opened up for the special election after President Trump named Rep. Ryan Zinke to head the Interior Department.

A GoFundMe campaign to help Jacbos buy new glasses was started in the wake of the incident, and the reporter's broken glasses are now headed to the Newseum in Washington, D.C. to be added to the collection of the museum dedicated to journalism.

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