Democratic Challenger Says Gianforte Used Taxpayer Dollars for Campaign Materials
In a complaint filed with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices, gubernatorial candidate Ryan Busse accused Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte of using his office to mail postcards that bolstered his reelection bid and served no official purpose, violating state laws
By Denali Sagner
Gov. Greg Gianforte used his official office to send out taxpayer-funded campaign materials, a complaint submitted to the state Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) by Gianforte’s Democratic challenger alleged.
The complaint, which was filed on Thursday by representatives from Democrat Ryan Busse’s gubernatorial campaign, claimed that postcards sent to Montana taxpayers reminding them to apply for a property tax rebate program beginning Aug. 15 were “taxpayer-funded political communications to support the Governor’s campaign” and “serve no public or governmental purpose whatsoever.”
The postcards urge residents to “save the date” to apply for a $675 property tax rebate and say, “Governor Greg Gianforte signed into law a property tax rebate that provides eligible Montana homeowners with up to $675 this year.” The mailer is officially addressed from the Montana Department of Revenue, but includes the logo for Gianforte’s office. Applications for the tax rebate do not open until Aug. 15.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the obvious political nature of these postcards,” Busse’s complaint stated. “Gianforte’s name is prominently featured on both sides, and he is credited for signing the rebate into law.”
Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Chris Gallus said he plans to decide whether or not the complaint can proceed early next week.
Kaitlin Price, spokesperson for the governor, said in an email: “This is a frivolous complaint filed by a desperate partisan. The Montana Department of Revenue sent postcards this year and last in order to inform Montanans about property tax relief available to Montana homeowners. We look forward to reading your story next week when an official response is filed.”
The Busse campaign alleged Gianforte violated Montana code that governs conduct for public officials by using state funds to promote his reelection bid. Complainants noted that there is “no government-adjacent action” that a recipient could take after receiving the postcard, given that postcards were delivered in July for an application process that does not open until August. The complaint also alleged a violation of laws that require a disclosure of costs to taxpayers on all public documents.
The complaint also raised a possible violation of laws prohibiting public officials from directing public funds to their private business interests. The Busse campaign asked COPP to investigate whether or not the postcards were printed by the graphics company of Jake Eaton, a Republican political strategist and Gianforte’s campaign manager. If printed by Eaton, the complaint said, Gianforte would be “effectively compensating his private campaign manager using public funds.”
The Busse campaign provided no evidence that Eaton’s company received the contract to print the postcards.
Busse and Gianforte’s campaigns filed COPP complaints against one another last month, alleging misuse of campaign funds.
Montana property owners are eligible for an annual $675 tax rebate, which they must apply for each year through the Department of Revenue. Montanans who paid state taxes in 2020 and 2021 were also eligible last year for a $1,250 income tax rebate.
The tax rebates have become a hallmark of Gianforte’s tenure. The governor last spring called the policies part of “the largest tax cut in state history” and said they should offset recent increases in property taxes, which in 2023 were as high as 46% in some Montana counties.
The Busse campaign has made Gianforte’s role in the state’s rising tax rates a central theme of the race, erecting billboards across Montana that read, “Greg Gianforte raised your property taxes.”
The COPP complaint called the tax increases a “source of anger, disappointment and confusion for Montanans across the political spectrum” and “a liability for Gianforte’s endangered reelection campaign.”
Busse has pitched an aggressive campaign to oust Gianforte in recent months, painting the governor as a wealthy outsider who is out-of-touch with Montanans. A Kalispell resident and former gun industry official, the candidate says he will prioritize public lands access and personal freedoms if elected to the state’s highest office.
Gianforte in 2020 beat Democratic candidate and former Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney by nearly 13 percentage points, flipping the governor’s office from red to blue after Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock held the seat for two terms.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add a statement from the office of Gov. Greg Gianforte.