A county judge on Monday ruled that Greg Gianforte, the Montana Republican who won a House seat in May a day after allegedly bodyslamming a reporter who asked him questions, will not spend any time in jail after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault.
Judge Rick West changed his initial ruling, which included potential jail time, to substitute 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that West also gave Gianforte a $385 bill for fines and fees and a deferred six-month jail sentence. After six months, Gianforte’s lawyers can move to have the latter dismissed if he does not violate the conditions of the deferral, according to the report.
BREAKING: West gives Gianforte 4 days in jail, but he is eligible for the jail work program and will spend two days working instead. #mtpol
— Whitney Bermes (@wabermes) June 12, 2017
BREAKING: West changes sentence. NO jail time for Gianforte. But has to do 40 hours of community service, 20 hours anger management. #mtpol
— Whitney Bermes (@wabermes) June 12, 2017
Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert told the Associated Press on Friday that Gianforte was “not going to be entering a nolo contendere plea” on Monday.
“He’s going to be pleading guilty,” Lambert said.
Ben Jacobs, a reporter for the Guardian, accused Gianforte in May of bodyslamming him and breaking his glasses after Jacobs asked him a question about the Republican bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.
A Fox News reporter also on the scene said that Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck, slammed him to the ground, and punched him several times.
Gianforte’s campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon contradicted those accounts in a statement released the same night where he claimed Jacobs “aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face.”
Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault but went on to win the election amid calls to withdraw his candidacy.
As part of a civil settlement in June, Jacobs said he would not object to Gianforte entering a nolo contendere plea, or one of no contest. Gianforte apologized to Jacobs and agreed to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists as part of the agreement.
“My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful,” Gianforte wrote in a letter to Jacobs. “I made a mistake and humbly ask for your forgiveness.”
“I hope this court’s decision can send a strong message about the necessity of civil discourse and the important role of the free press and to help heal our political system,” Jacobs said in a statement he read in court on Monday.
Here's the statement @Bencjacobs read in court today in Montana as Greg Gianforte was sentenced to community service/anger management pic.twitter.com/cQcK5tMIix
— David Mack (@davidmackau) June 12, 2017
“I sentence you to time served! The bar is open!”
“America: It used to be nice here.”
It’s a liberal conspiracy! The judge wears glasses! Lenses were invented by Hillary to warp the truth!
White House spokeswoman Frump E. Huckabee: This vindicates Gianforte completely.
Here’s the first draft. Shane Scanlon is still trying to work in the defamation part.