Montana Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, is under investigation by the legislative auditor for using public funds to pay for a private attorney who is currently contracted as his special counsel. Regier hired Abby Moscatel in 2023, and despite insisting that the contracts are compliant with the law, 34 senators voted for an investigation into the matter. Senator Daniel Zolnikov called for a complaint to be filed against Regier for potential waste, fraud, and abuse.
The Senate worked through a roster of bills before adjourning for a break, with Senator Shelley Vance attempting to refer Regier’s attorney matter to the Senate Rules Committee for a possible ethics investigation. The payments to Moscatel were found to be for work beyond what was allowed by state law, including legal work that didn’t fit the contract’s scope, resulting in a total payout of $22,970 from public funds.
The Senate Ethics Committee is set to hear arguments in a separate case involving former Senate President Jason Ellsworth, who is accused of not disclosing a business relationship with a contractor who received a $170,100 contract to monitor government agencies. The Department of Justice is also investigating misdemeanor allegations against Ellsworth for circumventing state procurement laws. Vance believes that given the similar issues raised in both cases, it is necessary to begin a similar investigation into Regier’s actions.
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