After more than a year of investigations and a six-day trial, Republican Sen. Jason Ellsworth has been found guilty of abusing his power to award a close friend $170,000 in government contracts.
During his final days as Senate President in 2024, Ellsworth used his access to Senate funds to award contracts to Bryce Eggleston and his company, Agile Analytics. The deal was to analyze bills that had died in the 2023 session. But Eggleston had no experience tracking or analyzing legislation.
Montana requires a public bidding process for government contracts over $100,000, but the $170,000 split between two contracts offered a loophole for Ellsworth to award the contracts privately.
Ellsworth could face up to 6 months in jail, a maximum fine of $500 and a possible permanent ban from public office. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 10.
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