Incoming GOP Rep. Greg Gianforte is getting off with little more than a slap on the wrist for body slamming a Guardian reporter at a campaign event in Montana.
After pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge, a judge sentenced him Monday to 40 hours of community service, 20 hours of anger management and a measly $385 fine.
After he won his race, Gianforte — now free of his Incredible Hulk routine — apologized profusely in an open letter to Ben Jacobs. Jacobs readily accepted the congressman’s apology. After claiming he didn’t want to be the story, he kindly donated his broken glasses to Washington’s Newseum.
Don’t bet on it, but there’s a chance the new lawmaker’s recent hefty donation will help smooth the way when he arrives in Washington. In light of his behavior, he donated $50K to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Asked if he thought anger management and his sentence was fitting, Gianforte, standing amid flashbulbs in his face, calmly told reporters, “I take full responsibility for my actions. I didn’t act in a way that is consistent with my behavior in the past. That’s why I was pleased to be here and get this done so we can move forward.”
Reporters were clamoring to ask more questions, but his spokesperson jumped in with “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you,” and quickly moved the formerly angry congressman through the sea of journalists.
The Mirror wrote Jacobs to ask if he would hesitate to approach Gianforte in Washington for comment.
WATCH DAILY CALLER’S EXCLUSIVE DRAMATIZATION OF THE EVENT: