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. 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. “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. 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. 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. “You just body-slammed me and broke my glasses,” Jacobs says. Photograph: Ben Jacobs for the Guardian 
 
 “The last guy did the same damn thing,” Gianforte 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, the sheriff, initially declined to file charges, saying that he had not yet listened to full audio of the incident. 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. 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.” 
 
 "Ben walked out holding his broken glasses in his hand and said: 'He just body-slammed me,'” Levinson continued. 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. Gianforte eventually agreed to speak with the Guardian for the video. Gianforte, a technology executive, is running against Democrat Rob Quist, a folk singer and first-time candidate. 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 Billings Gazette, The Helena Independent Record and The Missoulian subsequently rescinded their endorsements of the Republican candidate.
– 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."