Democrats call for criminal accountability for Senator Ellsworth
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News from Montana State Democrats
HELENA — On Feb. 6, Senate Democratic Leader Pat Flowers moved to refer the ongoing ethics investigation into Sen. Jason Ellsworth to the Montana Department of Justice. Sen. Flower’s motion also suspended the Senate Ethics Committee’s work pending a decision by the Attorney General on the matter.
“At every turn, Democrats have tried to support an unbiased and impartial process to review the allegations against Senator Ellsworth. Our integrity as legislators is paramount. The Ethics Committee has alleged criminal offenses, and it is appropriate that we put Montana’s top law enforcement officer on the case. I’m looking forward to our senators returning to the important work that Montanans sent us here for,” said Sen. Flowers (D-Belgrade).
Sen. Flowers went on to say, regarding the motion itself, “Since day one, we have been working with a bipartisan coalition to accomplish our goals for the people of Montana. Our goals are property tax relief, renewing health care, and making Montana affordable again. We worked with that same coalition to put this legal matter in the hands of the proper investigatory authority so we can prioritize the work of the people.”
The motion was made after thorough consideration of the politicization of the ethics panel process, the time and energy senators were investing in the ethics panel, and the fact that the information being presented amounted to criminal accusations rather than fact finding. The motion to refer the Ellsworth legal matter to the Department of Justice passed 27-22 on the senate floor.
