A Gallatin County District judge today released the booking photo of Congressman Greg Gianforte.
Gianforte pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in July for body-slamming Ben Jacobs, a reporter for the British newspaper The Guardian, on the eve of Montana’s special election last May.
Gianforte was sentenced to 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management counseling, which he says he’s completed. He was also required to be booked, photographed and fingerprinted. Gianforte unsuccessfully fought the booking requirement in August. The image was not made public until Judge Holly Brown released it today.
The mugshot will likely be used in attack ads against the Republican congressman when he runs for reelection next year.
During his sentencing appearance, Gianforte apologized to reporter Ben Jacobs, saying he looked forward to sitting down with him in Washington, D.C. Gianforte says he has offered to meet, but that the reporter has yet to take him up. Jacobs says Gianforte has refused an on-the-record interview.
