OVERDUE

Greg Gianforte Apologizes to Reporter He Body-Slammed

He will also donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Incoming Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte on Wednesday apologized to the reporter he is accused of body-slamming and said he would donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The night before the special election for Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Gianforte body-slammed Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs and was charged with misdemeanor assault. He said Wednesday that he would plead no contest to the charge. “My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful,” the multimillionaire tech executive wrote in a letter to Jacobs, adding: “I had no right to respond the way I did to your legitimate question about health-care policy. You were doing your job.” Despite the negative press coverage stemming from the alleged assault, Gianforte defeated his Democratic rival the next day and will soon head to Washington to serve in the House.