Senate Ethics Committee reviews draft report on Sen. Jason Ellsworth's contracts, presses staff for stricter factual citations

The Senate Ethics Committee met March 14, 2025, to review a draft report of findings related to contracts Senator Jason Ellsworth signed in late 2024 and to give staff direction on edits before the report goes to the full Senate. Committee counsel read findings that Ellsworth had presented two contracts on Dec. 26, 2024, totaling $170,100 and that an invoice for $7,087.50 was later approved for payment; the report ties those facts to section 2-2-112 of the Montana Code Annotated.

Committee members focused the session on ensuring the report remained factual rather than conclusory. "Our job here is the findings of fact," said Senator Smith, urging staff to insert direct citations to witness testimony and exhibits for statements that could read as legal conclusions. Several members asked that references to earlier litigation and auditor findings be condensed to exhibit citations rather than narrated at length unless directly relevant to the narrow conflict-of-interest charge the committee is tasked to resolve.

Mr.…