AG's office charges former Senate President Ellsworth (R) with official misconduct

Hamilton Sen. Jason Ellsworth will be charged with misdemeanor official misconduct stemming from a $170,000 contract he procured for a friend and business associate in his final days as Senate President, according to the Montana Department of Justice.

Prosecutors in the Montana Attorney General’s office filed the misconduct charges against the Republican lawmaker on Thursday, alleging he acted outside of his lawful authority and requesting the court suspend him from office pending final judgement.

“Ellsworth violated the ethics rules governing the use of public funds by obtaining services over $100,000 with the State of Montana without advertising, entertaining open bids, and having it reviewed by the Department of Administration before the contract was secured,” the DOJ said in a press release.

Ellsworth’s actions late last year were first reported by the Montana State News Bureau in the early days of the 2025 legislative session and became a dominant narrative throughout lawmakers’ time in Helena.



https://dailymontanan.com/2025/12/19/ags-office-charges-former-senate-president-ellsworth-with-official-misconduct/