Congressman-Elect Donates $50K To Settle Beef With Jewish Reporter He Attacked
Montana Republican Congressman-elect Greg Gianforte pledged to donate $50,000 to a journalism advocacy group as part of an out-of-court settlement he reached with the reporter he physically assaulted on the eve of his election.
Gianforte, a wealthy technology executive who won Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election May 25, also issued a public apology to the reporter, Ben Jacobs.
Jacobs, a political correspondent for the Guardian newspaper, accused Gianforte of “body-slammming” him, and breaking his eyeglasses, when the reporter posed a question about healthcare during a campaign event in Bozeman.
An audio recording of the incident revealed Gianforte shouting, “Get the hell out of here” .
Gianforte’s campaign initially suggested Jacobs instigated the altercation by barging into the candidate’s office and shoving a recording device in the politician’s face as he was preparing for a TV interview.
But in a letter of apology to Jacobs, Gianforte said his “physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable and unlawful…I had no right to assault you.”
Gianfote also promised in the letter to contribute $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists. He still faces a misdemeanor assault charge.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.