Montana Senate Ethics Investigation Resumes Amid Criminal Allegations Against Jason Ellsworth
HELENA — The Montana Senate is gearing up to renew its ethics investigation into former Senate President Jason Ellsworth, following Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s announcement of a criminal inquiry against him. Senate Ethics Committee Chair Sen. Forrest Mandeville, R-Columbus, confirmed on the Senate floor that hearings would resume next week, stating that the Attorney General’s actions allowed for the Ethics Committee’s work to continue.
Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, faces accusations of “abuse and waste” regarding his approval of a $170,000 state contract with a former business associate. Initial hearings were postponed when Democrats and nine Republican senators argued that the matter had become too politicized. They advocated for the allegations to be managed by the Department of Justice instead.
Recent developments saw both the Senate and the Legislative Audit Division send their findings to the DOJ, which subsequently initiated a criminal investigation. However, Knudsen maintained that only the Senate holds the authority to enforce ethical standards among its members. Ellsworth expressed concern about the resurfacing of the Ethics Committee’s activities, suggesting that the process lacked due process and that the situation was politically motivated.
In response, Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, emphasized the Senate’s constitutional responsibility to discipline its members and described the Ethics Committee as a fact-finding body whose role is to present findings for a collective Senate judgment.
Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, who initially supported the suspension of the hearings, remarked that while the committee’s focus should remain on ethical issues, he justified the resumption on the grounds of neutrality in the ongoing controversy. The Ethics Committee’s next meetings are scheduled for Monday and Friday of the upcoming week.
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