The Montana Senate has initiated an ethics investigation into a $170,100 government contract arranged by former Senate President Jason Ellsworth with business associate Bryce Eggleston. The unanimous Senate vote formed a bipartisan Ethics Committee to scrutinize the dealings. Senate leaders, including Senate President Matt Regier, expressed concerns about Ellsworth, a Hamilton Republican, and Misty Ann Giles from the Department of Administration (DOA), who admitted the contract violated state law.
The Legislative Auditor’s report, released Jan. 24, labeled Ellsworth’s allocation of state funds as wasteful and abusive. A key issue is the year-end agreement brokered by Ellsworth with Eggleston, intended to oversee potential laws limiting Montana court powers, a top priority for Senate Republicans. This session, they have proposed 27 bills targeting judicial powers.
Concerns arose from the contract terms exceeding $100,000, which requires competitive bidding, a process Ellsworth bypassed by splitting the contract — a legal violation. Instead of rejecting the agreement, DOA combined the contracts, setting a payment schedule with the first check due Jan. 10, before any services were to begin.
Regier criticized the contracted work as “simple,” asserting legislative staff could handle it without extra costs. He likened the contract to using taxpayer funds for personal favors. “This was like using $170,000 in taxpayer money to hire a good friend to mow your yard,” he remarked. No payments have been made, and Ellsworth confirmed Eggleston’s withdrawal amid political backlash.
Bipartisan support for the investigation includes Republican leadership and Democratic Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, who emphasized government transparency. Ellsworth supports the inquiry, acknowledging the contract as a distraction. The Ethics Committee will replace Sen. Sue Vinton with Sen. Forrest Mandeville. Senate leadership is contemplating a quasi-judicial proceeding for the ethics hearing, as they navigate the unprecedented situation.
Meanwhile, Montana Republican Party Chairman Don Kaltschmidt condemned the audit findings as disturbing, underscoring “accountability is an essential standard that needs to be in place for all elected officials.”
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