Reporter alleges GOP House candidate ‘body-slammed’ him

Associated Press

HELENA, Mont.

A reporter said the Republican candidate for Montana’s sole congressional seat “body-slammed” him Wednesday, the day before the special election.

Greg Gianforte, a Republican, was in a private office giving an interview when Guardian newspaper reporter Ben Jacobs went into the office without permission, Gianforte campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon said.

Jacobs “aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face, and began asking badgering questions” before being asked to leave, Scanlon said in a statement.

Gianforte asked Jacobs to lower a phone that was being used as an audio recorder, then tried to grab it, the campaign said. Scanlon said Jacobs then grabbed Gianforte’s wrist and both apparently fell to the ground.

Fox News says a crew saw Gianforte grab the reporter by neck and slam him to the ground.

In a first-person account posted on its website, a Fox reporter says the three-person crew went to the Republican’s campaign headquarters to interview him Wednesday.

Alicia Acuna writes that they watched Gianforte in disbelief as he punched reporter Jacobs after slamming him to the ground.

After Jacobs left, Gianforte apologized to the Fox crew.