Cascade County Commissioners agreed to pay thousands of dollars to settle a discrimination complaint brought against them by a former clerk and recorder.
Rina Fontana Moore filed the complaint with the Montana Human Rights Bureau earlier this year. She alleged the all-Republican Cascade County Commissioners discriminated against her for her political beliefs during the hiring process for the county’s nonpartisan election administrator. Moore held the job for 16 years as a Democrat when it was an elected position.
Attorney for the county Jordan Crosby told commissioners at a meeting last week the $52,000 settlement would avoid a lengthy legal process that could cost county taxpayers far more.
“I think it is in the best interest of the county,” Crosby said. “I think it is a good business judgment to resolve this, to end this matter.”
Montana Free Press first reported on the settlement. Commissioners approved it on a split vote, with Jim Larson and Joe Briggs in favor and Rae Grulkowski against.
In a statement to MTPR, Briggs said county attorneys found Grulkowski was the source of likely political bias. Grulkowski gave Moore a much lower score during the hiring process than her fellow commissioners.
Grulkowski in an email said Briggs “Plays favorites among our staff and does not enforce County policy.”
Grulkowski has often sparred with Briggs and Larson at commission meetings over the past two years. She defended county clerk and recorder Sandra Merchant when lawsuits accused Merchant of mishandling elections.
Moore also named the state of Montana and Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen as defendants, and neither had settled as of Tuesday. Jacobsen emailed Cascade County commissioners earlier this year urging them not to hire Moore and did not respond to MTPR’s request for comment.
Moore declined to comment, citing the ongoing nature of the complaint.
-
Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen likely discriminated against an applicant for Cascade County Clerk and Recorder. That’s according to findings from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. -
Montanans will elect 100 representatives and 25 state senators to the Legislature this election. It’s the first time candidates are running in districts redrawn with 2020 census data. -
Last month, Cascade County commissioners capped a tumultuous year of election discord when they hired a new nonpartisan election administrator. But according to new reporting from online publication The Electric, Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen emailed commissioners before they made their choice and advised them against hiring two of the four candidates for the job.
-
Commissioners unanimously selected former Great Falls Association of Realtors CEO Terry Thompson to manage Cascade County’s elections. -
Cascade County’s new commission chair said he’s concerned that a top election official position remains unfilled as election season approaches. -
The Cascade County Commission voted Tuesday to remove election duties from the clerk and recorders office. -
Cascade County commissioners finalized a vote Tuesday to change the way they select their chairperson. They faced a wave of opposition.
-
Cascade County commissioners Wednesday will attempt for a second time to certify municipal election results from earlier this month.
