A former Montana Senate leader’s controversial $170,100 government contract with a business acquaintance has been deemed wasteful and abusive state fund use by the Legislative Auditor. Sen. Jason Ellsworth, a Hamilton Republican, granted a contract to Bryce Eggleston, a one-time employee of Ellsworth’s private enterprise. This bypassed competitive bidding laws for substantial agreements, concluded Legislative Auditor Angus Maciver. The report highlights the split contract with Eggleston’s new company, Agile Analytics, as an unlawful attempt to evade state law.
State officials perceived the contract as binding due to Ellsworth’s pre-signed agreement—despite its legal violations. “There was and is no logical reason that the original contracts were bifurcated other than to unlawfully avoid oversight of the contracts by the Department of Administration,” Maciver noted, identifying this as an abuse of Ellsworth’s position. During the contract negotiations, Ellsworth was Montana Senate President, with his term ending in 2024.
Senate leaders expressed concern over Maciver’s findings. “We take any waste or abuse of taxpayer dollars very seriously,” Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers remarked, emphasizing accountability and suggesting a review by the Senate Ethics Committee. Current President Matt Regier plans to address the issue soon. Ellsworth, previously defending his actions as politically persecuted, was unavailable for comments.
The agreement aimed to pay Eggleston $170,100 to oversee state agency implementations of laws limiting Montana courts’ powers, a nine-month Republican initiative in 2024. Legislative staff, however, did not fulfill Eggleston’s payment request. The contract’s signing on Dec. 27 raised concerns due to its size, exceeding the $100,000 oversight-free threshold. Ellsworth involved Department of Administration Director Misty Ann Giles to split the $170,100 into two contracts, despite discomfort and legal advice against the move.
Giles, on vacation during Ellsworth’s request, found denying the contract challenging due to its pre-signed status. “The director saw that the two contracts had already been signed,” Maciver reported, reflecting on the binding nature between the state and Agile despite contrary legal opinions. The saga highlights the potential misuse of political power and the need for legislative reform.
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