In an interview with The Missoulian last week, Gianforte was asked why he initially lied about the incident by saying that Jacobs attacked him first. According to the newspaper, Gianforte didn’t concede that he had misrepresented what happened, saying, “The statement I gave was my recollection of what occurred.”

He also said he was bound by the settlement deal not to talk about details of the assault, which isn’t true, according to Genth. The lawyer accused Gianforte of misleading the “press and electorate about his ability to respond to questions relevant to his candidacy.”