Audio of Greg Gianforte attacking Ben Jacobs corroborated by Fox News journalists in the room, who described candidate ‘slamming him to the ground’ 
 
 The Republican candidate for Montana’s congressional seat has been charged with misdemeanor assault after he is alleged to have slammed a Guardian reporter to the floor on the eve of the state’s special election, breaking his glasses and shouting: “Get the hell out of here.” 
 
 Ben Jacobs, a Guardian political reporter, was asking Greg Gianforte, a tech millionaire endorsed by Donald Trump, about the Republican healthcare plan when the candidate allegedly “body-slammed” the reporter. 
 
 GOP candidate has financial ties to US-sanctioned Russian companies Read more 
 
 “He took me to the ground,” Jacobs said by phone from the back of an ambulance. “I think he whaled on me once or twice … He got on me and I think he hit me … This is the strangest thing that has ever happened to me in reporting on politics.” 
 
 Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna, field producer Faith Mangan and photographer Keith Railey witnessed the incident at Gianforte’s campaign headquarters in Montana, according to an account published on the Fox News website. After Jacobs asked Gianforte his question, Acuna wrote: “Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. 
 
 “Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the man, as he moved on top the reporter and began yelling something to the effect of ‘I’m sick and tired of this!’ … To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte, who left the area after giving statements to local sheriff’s deputies.” 
 
 Jacobs subsequently reported the incident to the police. The Gallatin county sheriff’s office said on Wednesday night it had completed its investigation and that Gianforte had been issued with a charge of misdemeanour assault. 
 
 “Following multiple interviews and an investigation by the Gallatin county sheriff’s office it was determined there was probable cause to issue a citation to Greg Gianforte for misdemeanor assault,” sheriff Brian Gootkin said in a statement. “The nature of the injuries did not meet the statutory elements of felony assault. Greg Gianforte received a citation on Wednesday night and is scheduled to appear in Gallatin county justice court between now and 7 June 2017.” 
 
 A statement by campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon blamed Jacobs for the altercation, saying that he “entered the office without permission, aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face, and began asking badgering questions.” 
 
 “Jacobs was asked to leave,” the statement reads. “After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed Greg’s wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground. 
 
 “It’s unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ.” 
 
 Scanlon’s account is contradicted by audio of the abortive interview recorded by Jacobs, as well as the Fox News account. The audio does not capture Jacobs being asked to leave or lower his recorder, but does contain an apparent reference to the Guardian’s previous attempts to report on Gianforte. “I’m sick and tired of you guys,” Gianforte said. “The last guy who came here did the same thing. Get the hell out of here. Get the hell out of here. The last guy did the same thing. Are you with the Guardian?” 
 
 “Yes! You just broke my glasses,” Jacobs replied. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ben Jacobs with his broken glasses being carted off in the ambulance. Photograph: Ben Jacobs for the Guardian 
 
 “The last guy did the same damn thing,” Gianforte said. 
 
 “You just body slammed me and broke my glasses,” Jacobs said. 
 
 “Get the hell out of here,” Gianforte yelled. 
 
 At a press conference on Wednesday evening, sheriff Brian Gootkin said that there had been four witnesses to the altercation, in addition to Gianforte and Jacobs. Gianforte briefly spoke with sheriff’s deputies following the altercation but has not been interviewed. Gootkin said that he was not aware of any video of the incident. He also requested that reporters and members of the public stop calling Gallatin’s 911 dispatch. 
 
 According to campaign finance filings, Gootkin donated $250 to Gianforte’s campaign in March. Gootkin’s later statement acknowledged the contribution but said it had “nothing to do with our investigation which is now complete”. 
 
 Guardian US editor Lee Glendinning said in a statement: “The Guardian is deeply appalled by how our reporter, Ben Jacobs, was treated in the course of doing his job as a journalist while reporting on the Montana special election.” 
 
 “We are committed to holding power to account and we stand by Ben Jacobs and our team of reporters for the questions they ask and the reporting that is produced.” 
 
 The altercation took place at Gianforte’s campaign headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. Gianforte was in a side room with a local television news crew when Jacobs attempted to ask his question, according to Jacobs. 
 
 “I decided there was no harm in asking one question, and the worst thing that could happen was they would tell me to go to hell,” Jacobs said. 
 
 Jacobs’s account was also partially confirmed by BuzzFeed News reporter Alexis Levinson, who wrote on Twitter that she had been in an adjacent room during the incident. 
 
 “This happened behind a half closed door, so I didn’t see it all, but here’s what it looked like from the outside – Ben walked into a room where a local TV crew was set up for an interview with Gianforte. All of a sudden I heard a giant crash and saw Ben’s feet fly in the air as he hit the floor. Heard very angry yelling (as did all the volunteers in the room) – sounded like Gianforte…” 
 
 Levinson told the Guardian by phone that before the incident, she overheard Gianforte’s staff telling Jacobs that the campaign was upset with the Guardian’s previous reporting and that the candidate would likely not have time to talk to him. Jacobs then entered the side room to try to talk to Gianforte, whose campaign has been backed by robocalls to voters from Trump and his vice-president, Mike Pence. 
 
 On Tuesday, the Guardian published the latest episode of its video series Anywhere but Washington about the Montana special election. The video includes two instances when Gianforte refused to be interviewed by reporter Paul Lewis. Video producer Adithya Sambamurthy said Wednesday that he and Lewis had been “blindsided” by the candidate’s unwillingness to answer questions, because they had been in contact with the campaign spokesman prior to their trip. Gianforte eventually agreed to speak with the Guardian for the video. 
 
 The special election called when Ryan Zinke vacated his seat has attracted national attention, and spending has reached $17m as the race has tightened. Democrat Rob Quist is a political novice and folk singer. Quist declined to comment on the altercation when approached by reporters on Wednesday. 
 
 Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) Quist responds (sort of) pic.twitter.com/cvnfAm0NyE 
 
 Gianforte is a tech mogul who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for governor in 2016. 
 
 On 28 April, Jacobs reported on Gianforte’s financial ties to Russian companies that have been sanctioned by the US. Gianforte’s wealth is estimated at between $65m and $315m. 
 
 Last month, the Missoulian newspaper took Gianforte to task for his attitude toward the press. At an event hosted by the Advancing Conservatism Society, an audience member reportedly said: “Our biggest enemy is the news media. How can we rein in the news media?” 
 
 Gianforte responded by pointing at a reporter and saying: “We have someone right here. It seems like there is more of us than there is of him.” Gianforte later told the Billings Gazette that his comments were a joke. 
 
 The Missoulian editorial board interpreted Gianforte’s statement as “demonstrat[ing] Gianforte’s agreement that news media are ‘the enemy’”. 
 
 “While his apology is appreciated,” they wrote, “Gianforte needs to take pains to set a better example of civility from now on.” ||||| In a statement, Greg Gianforte's spokesperson said the incident was a result of the reporter being "aggressive." | Getty Montana House GOP candidate cited after reporter says he 'body-slammed me' The local sheriff issues a citation for 'misdemeanor assault.' 
 
 HELENA, Mont. — Montana Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte was issued a citation late Wednesday after he allegedly “body-slammed” a reporter at a campaign event on the eve of a hotly contested special election. 
 
 Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian tweeted that Gianforte “body-slammed me and broke my glasses” at a campaign event in Bozeman, Montana — minutes before what was to be the last campaign rally of the campaign. Jacobs said he had asked Gianforte about a new budget analysis of House Republicans' effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. 
 
 Story Continued Below 
 
 Late Wednesday, Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin issued a statement saying the Republican congressional candidate had been cited for "misdemeanor assault" and that Gianforte would have to appear in court by June 7 to resolve the matter. "The nature of the injuries did not meet the statutory elements of felony assault," the sheriff said in his statement. 
 
 The incident rocked a closely watched contest, just hours before voters cast their ballots in Thursday’s special House election in Montana to replace Ryan Zinke, who is now the Trump administration's secretary of the interior. Gianforte, a technology executive, is running against Democrat Rob Quist, a folk singer and first-time candidate. The race in the traditional Republican stronghold is turning out to be closer than many thought it would be. 
 
 The encounter on election eve immediately captured statewide and even national attention. At least one local station interrupted prime-time programming for a breaking news report and reports bannered all of Montana's biggest newspapers. 
 
 The Billings Gazette, The Helena Independent Record and The Missoulian subsequently rescinded their endorsements of the Republican candidate. 
 
 Gianforte's campaign acknowledged an incident but offered a starkly different version of events — one contradicted by witnesses and by audio posted by The Guardian. Gianforte spokesman Shane Scanlon blamed Jacobs for being "aggressive" as he asked questions and for creating a scene. 
 
 "Tonight, as Greg was giving a separate interview in a private office, The Guardian's Ben Jacobs entered the office without permission, aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg's face, and began asking badgering questions. Jacobs was asked to leave," Scanlon said. 
 
 "After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed Greg's wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground. It's unfortunate that this aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ." 
 
 Audio of the incident posted by The Guardian seemed to directly contradict the Gianforte campaign's version, as did a number of witnesses — including a Fox News crew that was in the room during Wednesday's incident. 
 
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 Alicia Acuna wrote on Fox News' website that she and a crew were preparing for an interview with Gianforte when Jacobs walked into the room, produced a voice recorder and asked Gianforte a question. After Gianforte rebuffed Jacobs, and Jacobs asked a follow-up question, Gianforte grabbed him by the neck, Acuna wrote. 
 
 "Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him," she wrote. "Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the man, as he moved on top the reporter and began yelling something to the effect of 'I'm sick and tired of this!'" 
 
 In audio of the incident, Gianforte can clearly be heard getting upset. In it, Jacobs asks Gianforte about the Republican health care bill. Gianforte tells him, "Let me talk to you about that later" as Jacobs continues trying to ask a question. "Speak with Shane," Gianforte says, referring to his spokesman. 
 
 “The last guy did the same damn thing,” Gianforte says. 
 
 “You just body-slammed me and broke my glasses,” Jacobs says. 
 
 “Get the hell out of here,” Gianforte yells. 
 
 Gootkin, the sheriff, initially declined to file charges, saying that he had not yet listened to full audio of the incident. He subsequently issued a citation. 
 
 In March, Gootkin donated $250 to Gianforte's campaign, according to an FEC filing. 
 
 "After the press conference it was brought to my attention that people were commenting on a contribution that I made to the Gianforte campaign. I did contribute $250.00 on March 23, 2017. This contribution has nothing to do with our investigation which is now complete," the sheriff stated. 
 
 The sheriff said charges followed multiple interviews and an investigation by the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office. He said it was a misdemeanor based on "the nature of Jacobs' injuries." 
 
 Other reporters on the scene confirmed via Twitter that they witnessed some sort of altercation between the two. 
 
 "I'm not sure I've seen anything like this before,” BuzzFeed reporter Alexis Levinson, who was on the scene, tweeted in a long thread. "This happened behind a half-closed door, so I didn't see it all, but here's what it looked like from the outside. Ben walked into a room where a local TV crew was set up for an interview with Gianforte. All of a sudden, I heard a giant crash and saw Ben's feet fly in the air as he hit the floor.” 
 
 "Ben walked out holding his broken glasses in his hand and said: 'He just body-slammed me,'” Levinson continued. 
 
 Whitney Bermes, a reporter for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, tweeted that the police were called to the scene. The Daily Chronicle also reported that Jacobs was treated by an ambulance on the scene, and Bermes later tweeted that one person was transferred to the hospital. 
 
 "Gianforte sitting in a Jeep. Sheriff's deputies were talking to him earlier. Now a medic is at the window talking with him,” Bermes also tweeted . 
 
 Gianforte then left the event before he was scheduled to speak, according to reporter tweets. 
 
 In an interview, Jacobs told MSNBC he approached Gianforte and asked him about the Congressional Budget Office's score of the House bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. 
 
 "It was the strangest moment in my entire life reporting," Jacobs said. 
 
 He said after calling his editor and police, he went to the hospital to have X-rays because he fell on his elbow. 
 
 
 
 The Guardian, in a statement released late Wednesday, said it stood by its reporter. 
 
 “The Guardian is deeply appalled by how our reporter, Ben Jacobs, was treated in the course of doing his job as a journalist while reporting on the Montana special election,” U.S. editor Lee Glendinning said. “We are committed to holding power to account, and we stand by Ben and our team of reporters for the questions they ask and the reporting that is produced." 
 
 The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called on Gianforte to drop out of the race "after his alleged violent assault of an innocent journalist," spokesman Tyler Law said. 
 
 Quist declined to comment on the news after his first Missoula event of the evening, then also didn't address it at his second, a quick rally to thank his supporters at a brewery. 
 
 The candidate instead walked on stage, joined his opening act for a song, and repeated much of his stump speech for roughly seven minutes. He then walked off the stage and again declined to answer questions about Gianforte. 
 
 Elena Schneider and Cristiano Lima contributed to this report.
– Republican candidate Greg Gianforte may have blown the race for Montana's only House seat on the eve of the election. Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault Wednesday evening after allegedly attacking Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs, Politico reports. In an account backed up by an audio recording and statements from a Fox News crew, Jacobs says Gianforte slammed him to the ground, breaking his glasses, after he asked him a question at a campaign event. "He took me to the ground," Jacobs says. "He got on me and I think he hit me ... This is the strangest thing that has ever happened to me in reporting on politics." In the audio, Gianforte can be heard saying, "I'm sick and tired of you guys!" and "get the hell out out of here!" Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna says after Jacobs asked Gianforte a question about the American Health Care Act, the candidate "grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him." She says she saw no aggression at all from the reporter. A Gianforte spokesman, however, blamed the incident on "aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist" before the Republican's final campaign rally. Gianforte is in a tighter race than expected with Democratic folk singer Rob Quist for the seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, the Trump administration's interior secretary. Hours before the Thursday vote, the Billings Gazette yanked its endorsement of Gianforte, saying it "simply cannot trust him."