The state Senate’s ethics committee is scheduled to meet Monday to start its investigation into a Republican senator from Hamilton.
The Senate unanimously voted to convene the ethics committee over a deal Republican Sen. Jason Ellsworth brokered with a longtime business associate.
Republican Sen. Forrest Mandeville of Columbus is chair of the four-member, bipartisan ethics committee. He says they’ll gather facts, subpoena witnesses and consider whether Ellsworth violated, “One: the provisions of the Montana Code of Ethics. Two: the joint rules of the Montana Legislature. Three: The rules of the Senate. And four: Any other provision of law, administrative rule or administrative guidelines or procedures,” Mandeville said.
Ellsworth signed the $170,000 contract on the last day of his term as Senate president last month. The contract directed his colleague to track the progress of bills that pass this session. The state Department of Administration signed off on it.
Senate President Matt Regier hired a Missoula trial attorney to aid in the investigation.
Democratic Sen. Laura Smith of Helena said the committee could rely instead on legislative legal staff. She said she hopes they can make the process narrow and efficient.
“We would be utilizing the expertise of our attorneys here for really limited work that just supports our efforts and shepherds us through what really should be a simplified fact-finding mission,” said Smith.
The Senate Ethics Committee is scheduled to meet Monday at 11 a.m.
