Montana Republican Rep. Greg Gianfote’s campaign fundraising spiked the day after he body-slammed a reporter at a campaign event last month, according to newly released Federal Election Commission records. Gianforte’s campaign raised about $118,000 on May 25, the day after the incident that led to an assault conviction for the new congressman. It was also the day that voters went to the polls in the state’s special election. Gianforte’s election-day haul was more than double his fundraising the previous day, and nearly seven times the sum he raised a day earlier. 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. Gianforte won the special election in spite of the assault conviction over his attack against Guardian journalist Ben Jacobs. He has since apologized for the incident, and will serve 40 hours of court-mandated community service and take 20 hours of anger management classes.
—Lachlan Markay
