Latest news with #SenateEthicsCommittee
Associated Press
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Ellsworth receives lifetime ban from Montana Senate floor for ethics violation
Former Senate leader Jason Ellsworth was banned from the Montana Senate floor for life as part of a censure Tuesday stemming from an ethics investigation into a government contract awarded to a friend. The Senate voted 44 to 6 to censure the Hamilton Republican, who has survived three different expulsion votes since mid-March, each failing to reach the two-thirds majority necessary to pass. Before the vote Tuesday, Republican and Democratic leaders praised the compromise. 'It's more than just the Senate Ethics Committee report, so I want to make that clear,' said Senate Majority Leader Tom McGillvray. 'So, we're going all the way back to the (Federal Trade Commission) complaint in 2009 where he was fined $600,000 for failing to disclose material facts to customers in his business in magazine sales. Two different infractions where he was stopped by the Montana Highway Patrol, abused his position as a senator and was ultimately charged with multiple misdemeanors. In May of (20)23 when he was issued an order of protection alleging domestic abuse. December of (20)24, we're all familiar with, two bifurcated contracts, which the legislative auditor found to be acts of fraud, waste and abuse, which led to this ethics committee holding hearings.' The earliest incident cited by McGillvray, specifically Ellsworth's settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, predated Ellsworth's 2018 election to the state Senate by several years. Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, said the vote was about Ellsworth's failure to disclose his personal relationship with a friend and former business partner, Bryce Eggleston, who in late December received a $170,100 contract to observe and report on how government agencies put into practice any 2025 Republican bills that become law limiting the autonomy of Montana courts. An investigation by the Legislative Audit Division concluded that Ellsworth attempted to split the work into two contracts to avoid a $100,000 threshold that would have required the work to go out for bid. Ellsworth has denied involvement in how the contracts were originally set up. In the end, the state Department of Administration put the work into a single contract classified as a 'sole source' agreement, which allowed the work to be awarded without open bidding. The contracts drew public attention when current Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, and Majority Aide Rhonda Knudsen reported Ellsworth for investigation to the legislative auditor. Eggleston said he lost interest in the work because of the scrutiny. 'I believe, many of us believe, that this motion is appropriate for the unethical failure to disclose a conflict of interest, which we believe is what is at issue,' Flowers said. 'Penalties in the motion are strict, in my opinion, but I also think they're fair.' The full slate of penalties presented by McGillvray included removing Ellsworth from Senate standing committees and interim committee assignments during the next two years. Ellsworth will be allowed to vote remotely during Senate floor proceedings, including any Senate special session during the 2025 biennium. Ellsworth is banned from initiating verbal communications with executive branch directors and legislative staff. He also lost access to legislative office space, including legislative staff offices for the 2025 biennium. Ellsworth did not respond to press inquiries after the vote. The senator was not present on the Senate floor Tuesday but did vote against censure, which some lawmakers said went too far. 'I have some deep concerns about the fairness of the process from its inception, specifically when the Ethics Committee was convened,' said Sen. Ellie Boldman, D-Missoula. In a Democratic caucus a week earlier, Boldman suggested that Ellsworth was being punished for defying Republican Senate leadership on the first day of the session by collaborating with Democrats in reassign himself and several other lawmakers to preferable committees, this after being assigned to a committee that dissenting lawmakers described a parking spot for Republican senators who prevailed in some of 2024's most contentious legislative primaries. Ellsworth served as Senate president in 2023 but lost the position to Regier this session. 'I think I certainly would have been interested in a compromise, but the good senator from Ravalli County has kids. He has a new grandchild,' Boldman said. 'I'm sure he'd like to, as a former president of this body, be able to come here and, whether he has to vote or not, take photos and still be part of this institution until the day he dies. And I think this is just too close to expulsion for my liking.' Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, said there should have been a stepped-in disciplinary process, akin to a stepped-in warning for employees. 'I think there should be steps or procedures, such as the first being a verbal notice, second being a written notice and third being expulsion,' Windy Boy said. There remains an ongoing investigation by the Department of Justice into an alleged act of official misconduct identified by the Senate Ethics Committee early in its work on the Ellsworth matter.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Montana Senate votes to punish Ellsworth, revokes lifetime floor privileges
Senator Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, watches a vote during the Senate Floor Session on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. (Nathaniel Bailey for the Daily Montanan) As the Senate chamber emptied on Tuesday afternoon, a sergeant-at-arms cleared off the desk of Sen. Jason Ellsworth. The Montana Senate voted 44-6 to punish the Hamilton Republican, for his failure to disclose a conflict of interest in procuring a contract for a close friend, and for a 'pattern of abuse.' In making the motion, Senate Majority Leader Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, said the punishment was for more than just the conflict of interest which was the focus of a Senate Ethics Committee. He said it encompassed years of wrongdoings by Ellsworth, including running afoul of the Federal Trade Commission more than a decade ago, two altercations with law enforcement, and the work done late last year to a $170,100 contract that skirted procurement rules. 'I think this is appropriate,' McGillvray told his colleagues on the floor. 'These incidents were very, very serious and the Senate should respond accordingly.' Ellsworth, who apologized for only an appearance of impropriety, voted remotely against his own censure. He did not respond to texts or phone calls about his censure. Last week, the Senate voted twice on motions to expel Ellsworth, but couldn't get to the 2/3 majority (34 votes) needed to punish or expel a member, as a majority of Democrats voted against expulsion. Another expulsion vote taken before the censure also failed. Negotiations between McGillvray and Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, and Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, took place over the last week, up until Tuesday when McGillvray said he crafted the final language that went 'right up to' the line of expulsion. The censure includes the following: Removal from Senate standing committees No assignment to interim committees No verbal contact with executive branch directors or legislative staff, unless Ellsworth is first contacted by them. Revocation of access to legislator or legislative services office space Revocation of floor privileges for life For the remainder of the session, all Ellsworth can do in an official capacity is vote, remotely, on second and third readings of bills, and on motions made on the floor. Former legislators are allowed floor access after they serve, but Ellsworth will not be allowed to enter the Senate chamber again. Regier told reporters after the vote that he remained disappointed that the chamber was unable to muster the votes to expel Ellsworth, casting blame on the minority caucus. 'This is everything that the public of Montana does not like about politicians, and we didn't expel that from the system,' Regier said. 'I'm still for (expulsion), still disappointed that the Democrat party didn't stand up and get rid of corruption. But I am glad, as a conciliatory action, that action was taken and there was repercussions.' McGillvray added he felt the Democrats likely prevented the expulsion of Ellsworth to secure a vote on legislation. 'Democrats don't protect corrupt Republicans out of principle,' he said. Six members voted against the censure, including two Democrats — Sen. Ellie Boldman and Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy. Two Great Falls Republicans Sens. Jeremy Trebas and Daniel Emrich had voted for expulsion but not for the censure, and Wendy McKamey, also of Great Falls, voted against the censure. Both Democrats spoke on the floor about their reasons for resisting the motion. Windy Boy said he thought there should be a progressive warning system before a punishment was enacted, while Boldman said she still doubted the fairness of the entire process and felt that revoking floor privileges for life went too far. 'The political witch hunt needs to stop,' she said. Many members of the Republican majority, however, still favored expulsion. Sen. Forrest Mandeville, R-Columbus, who led the Senate Ethics Committee, made a substitute motion to expel Ellsworth, which failed on a tie vote. 'I don't see what has changed in the last week that would change my mind that expulsion is the most appropriate punishment,' he said. 'I feel the infractions of the Senator from Senate District 43 has made over the course of his service in the Senate makes him unsuitable for office.' Sen. Chris Pope, a Bozeman Democrat, also served on the Ethics Committee and again made his case that censure was the best route and would be a 'very black mark' on Ellsworth. 'I think there's a sense in this body that our colleague has really fallen and that there needs to be consequences,' Pope said. 'We also, as a body, I think, have been interested in being judicious and being fair, but being very explicit as to what the punishment and what the long term need is here for this body to express itself, and its commitment to transparency and integrity and decorum.' Flowers said he felt the censure was fair, even though it went further than what his party had initially proposed — including the revocation of floor privileges and speaking to legislative staff — and for the most part his caucus had been happy with where things ended up. 'I applaud the Ethics Committee for being as efficient as possible with that effort and fair, but it did take a lot of time and energy, and I think just brought a kind of a little bit of a pall on our proceedings in here,' Flowers said. 'I think all of us are ready and happy to be moving on.' Ellsworth's office had yet to be emptied as of Tuesday afternoon.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Broad election bill nears Georgia Legislature's 2025 finish line aiming to exit data partnership
Republican Rep. Tim Fleming of Covington said he decided to remove a new election night ballot counting rule after local election supervisors testified Wednesday that a tight Election Day counting deadline would place unfair burdens on election staffers. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder A Georgia GOP-controlled Senate panel Thursday greenlighted a revised version of a wide-ranging bill packed with controversial provisions that no longer include plans to hand voter challenge complaints to state election officials and enforce new ballot counting methods. House Bill 397, which still contains several controversial rule changes, passed the Senate Ethics Committee Thursday night with four Democratic senators voting against it. The bill has been criticized for limiting voters' ability to drop off absentee ballots on the final weekend before Election Day and other proposed changes to election law. The bill's sponsor, Covington Republican Rep. Tim Fleming said he also decided to remove a new election night ballot counting rule after local election supervisors testified Wednesday that a tight Election Day counting deadline would place unfair burdens on election staffers and present chain of custody challenges. The bill still aims to ban the state from participating in third-party voter list sharing databases like the Electronic Registration Information Center, known as ERIC. Georgia secretary of state officials are asking legislators to maintain what they say has been a successful partnership that allows Georgia to share updated voter rolls with 24 other states. Big overhaul planned for Georgia elections: Bills aired in state Legislature's waning days Under HB 397, the Georgia elections board would evaluate the procedures and policies for withdrawing from ERIC. and provide recommendations to the legislative committees. Fleming's updated bill would delay the state's transition from the multi-state voter database. It now proposes July 1, 2027 as the implementation date for Georgia to transition to another system. It allows for additional time to find a new way during legislative sessions in 2026 and 2027 and following next year's general election, Fleming said. 'If there is a new secretary of state, it gives them time to work with this legislative body to implement what we have asked them to do,' Fleming said. The revised bill still would still give the controversial State Election Board new rulemaking authority and independence, however it no longer would hand appeals to voter eligibility challenges to the board. The appeals are currently resolved in Superior Courts. Sen. Derrick Mallow, a Savannah Democrat, questioned whether the election board could take over election rulemaking powers that rightfully reside with the General Assembly. Ethics Committee Chairman Sam Watson, a Moultrie Republican, credited Fleming and HB 397's co-sponsor Rep, Victor Anderson for incorporating some key recommendations into the election bill. 'They listened to a lot of concerns that we heard last night for two hours and they took those concerns back and now they've got a good bill that I think we can move forward with,' Watson said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia Republicans backtrack on some election rules after sharp criticism
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers are retreating from election proposals that could have allowed a Donald Trump-aligned state board to strike thousands of challenged voters from the rolls and would have required polling officials to count the number of ballots by hand. House Bill 397 was rewritten to remove those provisions before it was passed Thursday by the Senate Ethics Committee, sending it to the full Senate for more debate. The bill still seeks to force the state to leave the Electronic Records Information Center. Some question the funding and motives of that multistate group, which tries to maintain accurate voter rolls. But Georgia now would not be required to exit until mid-2027 instead of within months, as was earlier proposed. Republican Rep. Tim Fleming of Covington said he and others decided to remove some of the most controversial provisions after they were panned by officials who work for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, county election directors and others in hours of testimony Wednesday night. 'After hearing a lot of concerns, we realize there's some things in the bill that probably needed some more work, some more time to be focused on, which we are going to work on during the off-session on our side,' Fleming said. Supporters said poll workers need to make sure the number of ballots collected on Election Day matches the total counted by ballot-scanning machines. But county officials warned that a requirement to count by hand the number of ballots — although not individual votes — could lead to delays in reporting results, mistakes by tired workers and problems with ballot security. Some counties in Georgia conducted hand counts until a few years ago. Similarly, supporters said the State Election Board needs to hear appeals of challenged voters because counties are turning down thousands of challenges. But opponents questioned whether the Republican-controlled board can adequately or fairly hear appeals. GOP activists challenged more than 63,000 voters statewide last summer, but most were rejected by counties. The State Election Board adopted a series of rules amid intense scrutiny last year only to see a judge throw most of them out, finding that the board overreached its legal authority. An appeal of that ruling was argued last week before the Georgia Supreme Court. The bill still seeks to put some rejected rules into law. That includes allowing increased access in election offices for partisan-appointed poll watchers and requiring counties to publish more statistics about absentee ballots. The measure also includes other Republican goals, like a ban on counties opening election offices the weekend before an election to let voters hand-deliver ballots. State and federal judges slapped down Republican lawsuits to block the practice last November. Other items cater to Republicans' continuing distrust of the election system, like requiring live nighttime video surveillance of ballot drop boxes that are emptied and then padlocked shut inside government buildings closed to the public.
Associated Press
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Georgia Republicans backtrack on some election rules after sharp criticism
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers are retreating from election proposals that could have allowed a Donald Trump-aligned state board to strike thousands of challenged voters from the rolls and would have required polling officials to count the number of ballots by hand. House Bill 397 was rewritten to remove those provisions before it was passed Thursday by the Senate Ethics Committee, sending it to the full Senate for more debate. The bill still seeks to force the state to leave the Electronic Records Information Center. Some question the funding and motives of that multistate group, which tries to maintain accurate voter rolls. But Georgia now would not be required to exit until mid-2027 instead of within months, as was earlier proposed. Republican Rep. Tim Fleming of Covington said he and others decided to remove some of the most controversial provisions after they were panned by officials who work for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, county election directors and others in hours of testimony Wednesday night. 'After hearing a lot of concerns, we realize there's some things in the bill that probably needed some more work, some more time to be focused on, which we are going to work on during the off-session on our side,' Fleming said. Supporters said poll workers need to make sure the number of ballots collected on Election Day matches the total counted by ballot-scanning machines. But county officials warned that a requirement to count by hand the number of ballots — although not individual votes — could lead to delays in reporting results, mistakes by tired workers and problems with ballot security. Some counties in Georgia conducted hand counts until a few years ago. Similarly, supporters said the State Election Board needs to hear appeals of challenged voters because counties are turning down thousands of challenges. But opponents questioned whether the Republican-controlled board can adequately or fairly hear appeals. GOP activists challenged more than 63,000 voters statewide last summer, but most were rejected by counties. The State Election Board adopted a series of rules amid intense scrutiny last year only to see a judge throw most of them out, finding that the board overreached its legal authority. An appeal of that ruling was argued last week before the Georgia Supreme Court. The bill still seeks to put some rejected rules into law. That includes allowing increased access in election offices for partisan-appointed poll watchers and requiring counties to publish more statistics about absentee ballots. The measure also includes other Republican goals, like a ban on counties opening election offices the weekend before an election to let voters hand-deliver ballots. State and federal judges slapped down Republican lawsuits to block the practice last November. Other items cater to Republicans' continuing distrust of the election system, like requiring live nighttime video surveillance of ballot drop boxes that are emptied and then padlocked shut inside government buildings closed to the public.
