Page 4 - ATD 27MAY2017

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 27 May 2017
Next for Montana’s new congressman: Day in court, then DC

prospects in 2018 and even sues are resolved.
2020. “The people of Montana
First things first though for deserve to finally have
Greg Gianforte, who has to representation in the U.S.
deal with a misdemeanor House,” party chairwoman
assault charge he received Nancy Keenan said in a
the day before the elec- statement. “However, they
tion after witnesses said he should not have to be rep-
slammed a reporter to the resented by a man who is
ground. currently facing an assault
Gianforte could have ap- charge for body slamming
peared in court in Boze- another person. Greg Gian-
man on Friday to resolve forte should not be sworn in
the charge but did not and as a member of the House
has a June 7 legal deadline of Representatives while his
do so. assault case is still pending
He faces a maximum of 6 in court.”
months in jail and a $500 There is no legal impedi-
fine if convicted. It’s rare for ment to Gianforte becom-
people to serve jail time for ing a member of Congress
misdemeanors unless they with a pending misde-
have serious criminal re- meanor. Republican Rep.
cords. The Gallatin County Michael Grimm of New
In this photo, Greg Gianforte speaks to Republican delegates in Helena, Mont. Gianforte won Attorney is also reviewing York, for example, returned
Montana’s only U.S. House seat on Thursday, May 25, despite being charged a day earlier with the case to see if addition- to Congress facing an in-
assault after witnesses said he grabbed a reporter by the neck and threw him to the ground. al charges are merited. dictment for federal tax
(AP Photo/Matt Volz) Montana Democrats on fraud and kept his seat
By BOBBY CALVAN BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — sworn into his first public Friday quickly called for even after he pleaded
NICHOLAS RICCARDI Montana’s new congress- office, but people are al- Gianforte to not be seated guilty, only leaving after
Associated Press man hasn’t even been ready talking about his in Congress until his legal is- voluntarily resigning.q

Boehner: Trump’s term ‘disaster,’ aside from foreign affairs

By MARY JALONICK from international affairs Speaking at an energy siveness in fighting Islamic (in office) has been a com-
Associated Press and foreign policy, Presi- conference Thursday in State militants, according plete disaster,” the Ohio
WASHINGTON (AP) — For- dent Donald Trump’s time Houston, Boehner praised to the energy publication Republican said, accord-
mer House Speaker John in office has so far been a Trump for his approach Rigzone. ing to the publication.
Boehner says that aside “complete disaster.” abroad and his aggres- “Everything else he’s done “He’s still learning how to
be president.”
Boehner said he’s been
friends with Trump for 15
years, but still has a hard
time envisioning him as
president. He also said
Trump shouldn’t be al-
lowed to Tweet overnight.
David Schnittger, a spokes-
man for Boehner, con-
firmed the comments on
Friday.
According to Rigzone,
Boehner said that the Re-
publican tax reform effort
“is just a bunch of happy
talk” and that the border
adjustment tax — a major
priority for Boehner’s suc-
cessor,
Speaker Paul Ryan — is
“deader than a doornail.”
He said he was more op-
timistic about tax reform
earlier in the year, but
“now my odds are 60/40.”
Earlier this year,
Boehner said he was pes-
simistic about another
congressional Republican
priority — repealing and
replacing former President
Barack Obama’s Afford-
able Care Act.q