Sunday, February 9, 2025
spot_imgspot_img

Top 5 This Week

spot_imgspot_img

Related Posts

Ethics Committee of Montana Senate begins probe of former president


The Montana Senate has initiated an ethics investigation into a $170,100 government contract brokered by former Senate President Jason Ellsworth. The contract, facilitated with his business associate Bryce Eggleston, violated state law according to an investigation by the Legislative Auditor. Ellsworth divided the contract into two to avoid a more rigorous procurement process for contracts over $100,000, which was deemed an abuse of power. Ellsworth’s actions were also criticized for being wasteful and abusive, with Senate Republicans and Democrats agreeing to investigate the matter for government transparency and integrity.

The terms of the contract with Eggleston raised red flags as the services were not meant to start until after the legislative session ended. The Department of Administration allowed the agreement to go through, consolidating the contracts and putting Eggleston on a payment plan despite the questionable nature of the contract. Ellsworth stated that Eggleston no longer wanted to perform the work due to political fallout.

The Ethics Committee will conduct the investigation, with a new committee chair appointed to replace Sen. Sue Vinton. Ellsworth supports the investigation, stating that the questions surrounding the contract have become a distraction. Senate leadership considers this investigation as the beginning of addressing the issue raised by the Legislative Auditor, emphasizing government accountability for elected officials.

Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Popular Articles