Montana representative-elect Greg Gianforte pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of misdemeanor assault after body-slamming a Guardian reporter last month.
Gianforte received a six-month deferred sentence and will serve no jail time, NPR writes.
Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs was asking Gianforte a question on May 24 when the Republican candidate attacked him and threw him to the ground.
In his statement to the court, Jacobs recounted the violent encounter and aftermath.
“I asked Mr. Gianforte a question in the same manner I have asked questions of hundreds of politicians: congressmen, senators and even the man who is now our president. Mr. Gianforte’s response was to slam me to the floor and start punching me. He injured my elbow, broke my glasses and thrust me into a national spotlight I did not seek or desire”, Gianforte said.
However, Gianforte’s campaign initially blamed the altercation on Jacobs “aggressive behavior” and offered a version of events at odds with an audio recording and witness accounts.
“I had no right to respond the way did to your legitimate question about health care policy. You were doing your job”, Gianforte stated in his letter.
The judge initially sentenced the Republican candidate to four days in prison, where under the terms of a jail work program he would be able to spend two of those days working.
However, after consulting with prosecution and defense lawyers, the judge changed the initial sentence minutes later, so Gianforte won’t serve jail time and will instead do 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management.
The sentencing comes a week after Gianforte reached a settlement with Jacobs in which the Montana representative-elect apologized to the reporter and agreed to pay $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
In Montana, the maximum penalty for misdemeanor assault is a $500 fine and six months in jail.
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