This news story will be the most explosive in decades, and it could turn the tide of Montana state government
Various press outlets have reported, but largely under-reported, a developing scandal regarding the Montana Supreme Court and their refusal to abide by information requests for their email correspondence on publicly-owned servers. But what lies under the surface of the scandal – and what is currently developing – will likely lead to the biggest news story in Montana politics in decades. Ultimately, as this saga continues, the scandal might lead to the impeachment of Supreme Court Justices and the arrest of at least one employee of the court. In the end, Governor Gianforte might be able to appoint new justices to the court, overthrowing the last liberal stronghold in the Montana state government.
As the Helena Independent Record reported on on April 9…
The Montana Supreme Court administrator deleted the emailed results from a poll of judges seeking opinions on a law now being challenged in the Supreme Court, according to documents provided to the Montana State News Bureau….The Montana Attorney General’s Office raised the issue when it included in court filings 18 of the judges’ responses, although its unclear where the office obtained them (HT Montana Talks).
The story begins with the passage of SB140, which provides the governor the power to appoint justices and district judges to fill vacancies and ending the Judicial Nomination Commission. Currently, the Montana Supreme Court is stacked with leftists, with Justice Laurie McKinnon – a moderate conservative – being the sole exception.
Clearly, the left-leaning court took exception to SB140, and a poll was conducted via email (and several by phone) of 37 judges across the state for their position on the bill. In total, 34 judges voiced opposition, and 3 voiced support for the bill. The poll was used to determine how the Court should lobby the legislature through the Montana Judges Association.
In a yet-to-be-disclosed detail, the Attorney General’s office obtained responses from 18 of those judges. The Attorney General, Austin Knudsen, has the job as the state’s top law enforcement officer to defend state laws, including SB140, which was signed by the governor on March 16. After the passage of SB140, a confederacy of RINO and leftist leaders promptly sued the state to overturn the law. Plaintiffs in the case include former Republican Secretary of State Bob Brown (who left the Republican Party because Donald Trump and Steve Daines didn’t wear masks often enough), a former Democratic lawmaker named Dorothy Bradley, a former Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Chairman Vernon Finley, and the Montana League of Democrat Women Voters.
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