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.
\u201cDoesn't this pastor know that spreading lies about a person is a sin? There is even a Commandment against it. I am glad the woman sued the pastor. Pastor admits he made up story about a \u201cthreatening\u201d transgender woman after she sues him https://t.co/Bcl75ZliX9\u201d— Shonn Sutton #IStandWithUkraine (@Shonn Sutton #IStandWithUkraine) 1654195762
\u201c#TwoThings\n#RadicalRight Pastor Jordan \u201cJD\u201d Hall admitted that he fabricated a story about a transgender Native American lobbyist berating a state senator.\u00a0\n1. An error? It was a lie, done on purpose\n2. He filed for bankruptcy to avoid paying his lawyers & the $250,000 settlement\u201d— \ud83e\udd17\ud83c\udf0e#NOT4ME4US\ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udca1 (@\ud83e\udd17\ud83c\udf0e#NOT4ME4US\ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udca1) 1653576367
\u201cComplete vindication for Adrian Jawort. Read the settlement that resolves her defamation suit against JD Hall. \n\nAdrian fought for the truth and won. It's been an honor to represent her, and do so alongside my friends at the exceptional @UpperSevenLaw \n\n#mtpol #mtnews\u201d— Raph Graybill (@Raph Graybill) 1653429065
\u201c@raphgraybill @UpperSevenLaw Is it bad that we're pleasantly surprised when lying actually does have consequences?\u201d— Raph Graybill (@Raph Graybill) 1653429065
\u201cSometimes defamation suits are justified and serve justice! This is one such case. JD Hall harassed Adrian, rallied local republicans against Judge Elizabeth Best, & used his transphobic bigotry to gain fame. I hope everyone hears this result as loudly as they did his hate.\u201d— DisillusionedHoneyBadger (@DisillusionedHoneyBadger) 1653620372
\u201cAdrian Jawort has won the day!\n\nOn Friday, JD Hall rescinded his false statements about Adrian and posted a public apology.\n\nOver the last year, Adrian has bravely pursued the truth. What an honor it has been to represent her with our brilliant co-counsel @raphgraybill.\u201d— Upper Seven Law (@Upper Seven Law) 1653429050
\u201cReligion pollutes all it touches.\u201d— Jim Hattaway\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Jim Hattaway\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1653662967
\u201cIn some denominations this guy could lose his ordination for this. Guessing he doesn\u2019t belong to such a denomination.\u201d— Rev. Charles S. Freeman (@Rev. Charles S. Freeman) 1653662117
\u201cImagine that. The same guy who has been making up stories about me for years. \ud83d\ude44 https://t.co/Bs5QyXOwQ3\u201d— Karen Swallow Prior (Notorious KSP) (@Karen Swallow Prior (Notorious KSP)) 1653588305
\u201c\u201cThe libel suit was dismissed, w/ the agreement Jawort will be able to make a claim of $250,000 against Hall, who is currently in bankruptcy.\u201d\n\nI am increasingly inclined to encourage victims of smear campaigns & sexual abuse by Xians to seek legal advice. https://t.co/Celhi3oOsw\u201d— Anna Caudill (@Anna Caudill) 1653590243
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.