Republican Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte defeated Democrat challenger Rob Quist in a special election last month, even after several witnesses saw Gianforte body slam Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs. The Congressman won’t receive any jail time for body slamming a reporter, but he did apologize for his actions (body slamming a reporter) in a formal letter. Luckily for Gianforte, absentee and early voting were not affected by the news that he body slammed a reporter, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered as Gianforte’s fundraising amount doubled the day after he body slammed a reporter.
According to Federal Elections Commission records, Gianforte raised $118,000 dollars the day after the incident (which ended with an assault conviction for Gianforte), more than double the amount he raised the day of the incident, and more than ten times the amount that he raised the day before that. Republican donors saw a candidate that needed an extra boost as well as one that wasn’t afraid to body slam a reporter if the situation called for it.
According to the Daily Beast, Gianforte’s post-body-slam donors were some heavy-hitter conservatives:
Among his notable post-body-slam donors were Fred Smith, vice president of Trump-friendly media company Sinclair Broadcasting, science fiction writer Orson Scott Card, and Republican National Committee finance chair Steve Wynn.
Meanwhile, Gianforte will have to fit in 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management classes.
(via Daily Beast)