HELENA – Public Service Commissioner Brad Molnar has appealed an ethics ruling against him in which he was ordered to pay nearly $21,000 in fines and investigation costs.
Last month, Political Practices Commissioner Dennis Unsworth ruled that Molnar had violated state ethics law by improperly soliciting and receiving money from energy companies to fund a Billings conservation event in 2007. He also ruled that Molnar used some of those brochures as campaign materials and used state government equipment for his 2008 re-election campaign.
The Lee Newspapers State Bureau reports Molnar’s appeal was filed Wednesday in District Court in Billings.
The appeal argues that Unsworth did not find any proof that money donated for the Billings Brownout brought any improper influence.