Montana Gov. Steve Bullock’s re-election campaign violated state law by failing to make timely reports on expenses stemming from his use of a state aircraft, the state’s chief political watchdog reported Thursday.
Political Practices Commissioner Jeff Mangan said he was forwarding a report to the Lewis and Clark County attorney for possible prosecution, but said litigation is unlikely.
Mangan told The Associated Press that he and the governor’s campaign committee, Friends of Steve Bullock, were working toward a financial settlement.
“We expect to settle this with the campaign fairly quickly,” Mangan said.
Bullock’s spokeswoman, Ronja Abel, called the late reports a “paperwork error” but said the committee would pay whatever the commissioner deemed an appropriate fine.
Bullock offered to pay back some of the costs of using the state aircraft to get to campaign events that coincided with state business. In all, he reimbursed the state more than $7,000 for campaign-related trips, his office said.
The violations appeared to be mostly technical, according to Mangan’s nine-page ruling on a complaint filed in October by Jason Ellsworth of Hamilton, who took issue with the governor’s use of the government-owned aircraft.
Bullock’s campaign repaid the state, but on nine occasions reported plane-related expenses after relevant deadlines. Campaigns are required by state law to disclose fundraising and spending on a schedule set by the commissioner.
Mangan said the governor “correctly subjected his campaign to a reimbursement policy” but did so after coming under fire by Republicans who asserted he was misusing government property for political purposes.
The matter became a line of attack by Republicans trying to stymie the governor’s re-election. Bullock, a Democrat, defeated Republican Greg Gianforte, who this year won a special election for Montana’s lone congressional seat.
Bullock offered to pay back some of the costs of using the state aircraft to get to campaign events that coincided with state business. In all, he reimbursed the state more than $7,000 for campaign-related trips, his office said.
Previous governors have used the plane as part of their electioneering but insist that those trips are secondary to previously scheduled official business.