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Montana GOP’s Gianforte Charged After Attack on Reporter

Cited for misdemeanor assault after alleged attack Guardian’s Ben Jacobs on eve of election.

The Montana Republican candidate for Congress who is accused of body-slamming Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian (and previously for The Daily Beast), has been issued a citation for misdemeanor assault. Greg Gianforte was making a campaign appearance Thursday when Jacobs asked him a question. “We’ll talk to you about that later,” Gianforte said, according to an audio recording published at The Guardian. “Yeah, but there’s not going to be time,” Jacobs responded. “I’m just curious about it right now.” Then an altercation takes place, and Jacobs said, “You just body-slammed me and broke my glasses.” If convicted, Gianforte faces a maximum of six months in jail, in addition to a $500 fine. Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna published her own account of the incident Thursday evening, writing that the tech executive had “grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him.” Acuna added, “I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter. As Gianforte moved on top of Jacobs, he began yelling something to the effect of, ‘I'm sick and tired of this!’” A spokesman for Gianforte issued a statement Wednesday evening claiming that Jacobs incited the violence.