Evangelical Christian pastor J.D. Hall declared bankruptcy and admitted he lied after an Indigenous transgender activist sued him for claiming she harassed Butch Gillespie, a Montana state Republican Senator.
The bankruptcy filing for Hall, who publishes The Montana Daily Gazette, came just two days before a scheduled hearing in state court on the request of libel plaintiff Adrian Jawort who said Hall made public threats of violence as well as other statements about the case and the presiding judge.
Because Hall filed for bankruptcy, the legal action against him was put on hold, meaning Jawort—who Hall falsely claimed threatened Gillespie at the state capitol building to such an extent Gillespie asked the capitol’s sergeant-at-arms for additional protection—may never see a penny of the $250,000 settlement.
Hall issued the following public apology regarding a May 3, 2021 article entitled, “Who’s the Gothic Transvestite Haunting the Halls of the Montana Capitol?” in which he lied about Jawort.
“I apologize to Adrian Jawort. The information I published about Adrian was false."
"Adrian did not threaten or harass Senator Butch Gillespie. I regret the error and sincerely apologize to Adrian for publishing it.”
Jawort later responded with a statement of her own, saying she is happy with the legal outcome even if she won't see any damages.
Jawort said:
“I am grateful that after a tumultuous year, Pastor Jordan Hall was finally able to admit committing libel and bearing false witness against me."
“In this day and age when trans people like myself are targeted with political bullseyes on our backs, it was especially dangerous of him to falsely accuse me of bullying and harassing an elderly state Senator I’d never met to the point where the sergeant at arms had to pull me away.”
“There are people out there who’d physically hurt me if they thought that was true and then saw me to take revenge. Hall must realize as a pastor people will take his word as literal gospel and act on it.”
The news Hall filed for bankruptcy exposed him to further criticism while others came to Jawort's defense.
The libel lawsuit isn't Hall's only encounter with legal trouble.
He was arrested as recently as last month.
According to the official police report, Hall was arrested on May 11 at a traffic stop for driving under the influence and carrying a concealed weapon while intoxicated.
Arresting officers noted Hall had slurred speech and poor balance. He failed a field sobriety test though a breathalyzer—which doesn't test for drugs other than alcohol—did not find he had alcohol in his system.
Hall initially claimed the DUI charge stemmed from a Vitamin D deficiency. He later changed his story, blaming his actions on fatigue and prescription medication use.
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