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Alme Named New Budget Director with Eye on Identifying Waste

Outgoing U.S. Attorney for Montana tapped to serve first Republican administration in 16 years

By Tristan Scott

HELENA — Gov.-elect Greg Gianforte named Kurt Alme, the outgoing U.S. Attorney for Montana, as budget director for the state’s first Republican administration in 16 years.

“Montanans want to see Helena change the way it does business, and that begins with how Helena spends the hard-earned dollars of its citizens,” Alme said in a statement.

Alme served as director of the state Department of Revenue between 2001 and 2003 under Republican Gov. Judy Martz.

Gianforte said in a statement that he needed Alme’s experience to fire up the economy and hold the line on state spending.

“In partnership with Kurt, I’m confident that we’ll be able to identify waste in the budget and free up those dollars so that folks can keep more the money that they earn,” Gianforte said.

Alme tendered his resignation as U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana on Monday, effective Dec. 2. He was recommended for that post by Republican Sen. Steve Daines and nominated by President Donald Trump in 2017.

The U. S. Attorney’s Office said in a release that Alme focused on reducing meth-related violent crime, opioid overdose deaths and crime on Native American reservations.