Commissioner of Political Practices Chris Gallus, declared on Thursday that Attorney General Austin Knudsen did not breach campaign finance regulations as alleged by the executive director of the Montana Democrat Party.
Sheila Hogan, executive director of the Montana Democrat Party, filed complaints against Knudsen and his primary opponent, Logan Olson. Allegations surfaced after both Knudsen and Olson openly admitted that Knudsen had encouraged Olson to run against him. Thereby allowing Knudsen to raise funds for the primary and general elections.
Gallus, in his ruling, acknowledged that such strategies have been quietly employed in past elections but highlighted Knudsen’s brazen public discussion of the tactic as a distinguishing factor in this case. Despite criticisms from Hogan, who argued the scheme violated election laws, Gallus found insufficient evidence to support claims of illegality, noting that Olson’s candidacy, although unconventional, did not constitute a breach under current statutes.
Jake Eaton, Knudsen’s senior campaign adviser, welcomed the decision as the rightful conclusion of what he described as a politically motivated case. Eaton emphasized that such maneuvers, while unusual, are a part of the state’s political landscape.
Many incumbent officeholders face token opposition in the primary which allows them to raise additional funds. In 2016, State legislator Bill McChesney ran against Governor Steve Bullock in the Democrat primary. McChesney raised $0 for his campaign and conduct no public campaign activity.
In this year’s Democrat primary for Governor, Democrat front-runner Ryan Busse, a gun control activists and author, faced opposition from Helena trial lawyer Jim Hunt. Hunt raised $0 for his campaign and conduct no public campaign activity.
However, Hogan expressed dissatisfaction with Gallus’ ruling, asserting that Knudsen and Olson had colluded to exploit Montana’s election laws for their benefit. Hogan criticized Knudsen’s conduct, citing ongoing Democrat allegations of professional misconduct against him, which include accusations of undermining the Montana Supreme Court.
Gallus did identify one irregularity in Olson’s campaign finances: Republican operative Chuck Denowh covered Olson’s filing fee, an action that Gallus deemed improperly reported as a debt rather than a campaign contribution.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
