Former State Senate President Ellsworth Pleads Not Guilty, Claims Legislative Immunity

Former Republican state Senate president Jason Ellsworth pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor official misconduct charge Thursday in Lewis and Clark County District Court.

Ellsworth is alleged to have awarded $170,100 in government work to a longtime business associate without soliciting competitive bids. Prosecutors say the Hamilton Republican divided the work into two contracts to avoid having to put the work out to bid. Ellsworth maintains he’s innocent and pleaded that way in court Thursday. 

The case roiled the 2025 Montana Legislature as the accusations, brought by Ellsworth successor Republican Senate President Matt Regier and Rhonda Knudsen, the mother of Montana’s Republican Attorney General Austin Knudsen, were investigated and eventually referred to the attorney general for prosecution. 

Arrangements are a basic first step in alleged criminal matters. Proceedings took a turn Thursday when district court Judge Christopher Abbott denied an attempt by Ellsworth to vacate the arraignment or stay proceedings based on legislative immunity. 

The gist of Ellsworth’s argument is that because his actions were legislative in nature, he is protected from criminal prosecution. Ellsworth said in court filings that he was acting as Senate president and chair of the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform when he awarded the contracts for tracking how the judicial system put laws drafted by the select committee to work.

Abbott ruled that Ellsworth hadn’t proved that legislative immunity bars arraignment, but the judge said the arguments would be considered promptly for a ruling later.

The court earlier suspended Ellsworth from serving as senator, pending the outcome of his case. The maximum sentence for misdemeanor official misconduct is six months in jail.

This story originally appeared in the Montana Free Press, which can be found online at montanafreepress.org.