Extremist Pastor Admits Fabricating Story About Trans Activist And Possible $250,000 Settlement May Result

The Great Falls Tribune reports:

A conservative minister who seemed to be a darling of far-right politicians in the state has admitted that he fabricated a story about a transgender Native American lobbyist allegedly berating a state senator so badly that he sought the protection of the Montana Senate’s sergeant-at-arms.

In a libel case that has raged on for more than a year and involved threats of mounting an attorney’s head on the wall of the Pastor Jordan “JD” Hall’s study, a rocket launcher and statewide speaking tour, the conservative Sidney-based minister has admitted that he fabricated the story and apologized to Adrian Jawort.

Religion News Service reports:

The libel suit was dismissed, with the agreement Jawort will be able to make a claim of $250,000 against Hall, who is currently in bankruptcy. Hall also posted a note on the Montana Gazette website.

“I apologize to Adrian Jawort,” he wrote. “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.”

The Daily Montanan reports:

Jawort told the Daily Montanan watching Hall tour the state, fundraising, in part, on the lawsuit was a surreal experience. “He mocked me and played victim by lying to crowds that I’d filed a lawsuit for anti-free speech reasons,” Jawort said.

“I’ve even had someone from Great Falls wanting to confront me. This person also bizarrely claims I engaged in some QAnon type child porn cover-up theory. While I am glad he never found me, Hall must realize as a pastor people will take his word as literal gospel and act on it.”

Jawort told the Daily Montanan that a person showed up to a Billings business where he thought she worked to confront her.

Hall first appeared on JMG ten days ago when he was arrested on DUI and weapons charges. Rather notably, a breathalyzer test showed no alcohol in his system.

It appears that he declared bankruptcy because of the libel lawsuit and the outlets linked above note that his victim may not see any money.

Hall earned national headlines last summer for offering “religious liberty” COVID vaccine exemption letters and for threatening to post billboards doxxing “COVID snitches.”

In 2017, he was dragged out of a Montana church after screaming that its female pastor was banned from preaching according to scripture.

In 2014, he was accused a bullying a pastor’s son into suicide after attacking the teenager on Twitter.

Hall is pals with Montana state Sen. Theresa Manzella, who appeared on JMG last fall when she declared that gays who get assaulted for holding hands in public are getting what they deserve.