A coalition of Montana’s top elected officials, lawmakers, and local leaders is pushing back against criticism of Governor Greg Gianforte’s appointment of Jessica Flint to the state’s Criminal Justice Oversight Council, calling it a decisive move toward accountability and balance in Montana’s justice system.
In a letter released Monday, 56 officials—ranging from members of Montana’s entire congressional delegation to statewide officeholders, legislators, and local leaders—voiced strong support for Flint while sharply rebuking opposition from the ACLU and other progressive groups.
“Mrs. Flint is a highly qualified and diligent advocate whose experience and integrity have earned broad respect among those who value genuine protection of rights and public safety in Montana,” the letter states.
The signers include U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, Congressmen Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing, Attorney General Austin Knudsen, State Auditor James Brown, Superintendent Susie Hedalen, and Clerk of the Supreme Court Bowen Greenwood. The leadership of the Montana Legislature—Senate President Matt Regier and House Speaker Brandon Ler—joined more than 40 of their colleagues in endorsing the appointment, alongside current Council members and local elected officials.
The letter singles out the ACLU for what it describes as “well-documented partisan political activity,” including financial and organizing support for Democrat candidates, which the signers argue undermines the Council’s neutrality.
“This political engagement risks compromising the Council’s impartiality, which should focus on objective, data-driven criminal justice reform rather than partisan agendas,” the letter warns.
By contrast, Flint’s work with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and her prior experience in state and federal government were held up as credentials that would bring a needed “constitutional grounding” to the Council. The coalition particularly praised her stance on protecting female inmates’ safety and privacy—an issue they say the ACLU has ignored in favor of “a radical gender ideology.”
“ADF has championed the rights of women in prisons who face privacy and safety violations when housed with men. The ACLU, however, has opposed such protections,” the letter states.
Flint previously worked in congressional offices and at the Montana Office of Public Instruction before joining ADF, where she serves as State Government Relations Manager.
Governor Gianforte’s office did not immediately responded to the letter publicly, but supporters say the message is clear: Flint’s appointment represents a shift toward balanced, constitutional oversight in Montana’s criminal justice system—one that prioritizes public safety and civil rights without partisan influence.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
