Republican politician who body slammed reporter avoids jail time

A newly elected Montana Congressman who shot to national attention after body slamming a reporter will avoid jail time after pleading guilty to assault.

A Montana judge sentenced incoming Republican Representative Greg Gianforte to 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management counselling for the assault of Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. The congressman will also have to pay a $385 fine.

Mr Gianforte assaulted Mr Jacobs at a campaign event one day before the Montana special congressional election. The reporter was in the process of asking Mr Gianforte about his health care positions when the then-candidate slammed him to the ground.

Audio of the incident – which broke Mr Jacob’s glasses and injured his elbow – was recorded on Mr Jacob’s cell phone. Two additional reporters from Fox News confirmed Mr Jacob's version of events.

According to reporters present in the courtroom, Judge Rick West initially sentenced Mr Gianforte to four days in prison, with two days on work release. When Mr West realised that work release is not available for assault conviction, he changed the sentence to community service.

“This is not my intent that you spend four days in jail,” the judge told Mr Gianforte. “I don't think that will serve the community or the taxpayers."

Mr West issued the congressman a six-month deferred sentence, meaning the sentencing will be reviewed – and possibly scrubbed from his record – after 180 weeks.

Mr Gianforte told reporters after the sentencing that he took “full responsibility” for the incident, and looked forward to putting it behind him.

The congressman’s campaign team had initially blamed Mr Jacobs for the incident, calling it “aggressive behaviour” on the part of a “liberal journalist”.

Following the publication of Mr Jacob’s audio and the Fox News accounts, however, Mr Gianforte eventually apologised. He also agreed to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"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," Mr Gianforte wrote in a letter to the reporter. "My treatment of you did not meet that standard."

Mr Jacobs, in a statement read aloud in court, said the incident represented an ”increasingly rancorous” national discourse.

“I just hope this court’s decision can send a strong message about the necessity of civil discourse in our country, the important role of the free press and the need to help heal our political system,” he said.

In a statement provided to The Independent after the trial, Mr Jacobs said he was happy to see justice served and appreciated the congressman taking responsibility for the assault.

The Montana congressional race results will be certified on 15 June; it is unclear when Mr Gianforte will take office.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Gianforte for comment.