Former Montana Senate President Jason Ellsworth has been banned for life from the Senate floor following a bipartisan vote to censure the Hamilton Republican over a serious ethics violation tied to a no-bid government contract awarded to a close associate.
In a 44–6 vote on Tuesday, the Senate approved the censure, which removes Ellsworth from all standing and interim committees, strips him of access to legislative offices and staff for the 2025 biennium, and prohibits him from initiating communication with executive branch directors and legislative staff. He will be allowed to vote remotely but is barred from physically appearing on the Senate floor for the remainder of his legislative career.
The rare disciplinary action follows an ethics investigation into a $170,100 state contract awarded in December 2024 to Bryce Eggleston, a longtime friend and former business partner of Ellsworth. The contract tasked Eggleston with monitoring how Montana state agencies implement Republican-backed legislation affecting judicial independence.
An inquiry by the Legislative Audit Division determined that Ellsworth attempted to split the work into two smaller contracts to avoid triggering a $100,000 competitive bidding requirement. Although Ellsworth denied involvement in structuring the contract, the project was ultimately issued as a “sole source” contract by the Department of Administration, circumventing the public bidding process entirely.
Senate leaders from both parties framed Tuesday’s vote as a necessary response to Ellsworth’s failure to disclose a clear conflict of interest.
“I believe—many of us believe—that this motion is appropriate for the unethical failure to disclose a conflict of interest,” said Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade. “Penalties in the motion are strict, in my opinion, but I also think they’re fair.”
Senate Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, and other Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the censure, calling it a measured resolution after three failed attempts to expel Ellsworth in recent weeks. Each expulsion motion fell short of the two-thirds majority needed.
The investigation gained momentum after Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell reported the contract to the legislative auditor. Eggleston, under public scrutiny, ultimately backed out of the contract.
Ellsworth, who served as Senate president in 2023 before being replaced by Regier this session, has faced accusations of retaliating against party leadership by aligning with Democrats to reassign himself and others to more favorable committee posts. That move came after he and several other Republican lawmakers were originally placed on less influential committees—a move widely seen as payback for surviving contentious 2024 primary challenges.
During a Democratic caucus last week, Sen. Ellie Boldman suggested Ellsworth’s punishment may be political in nature. However, her defense has been overshadowed by her recent DUI arrest, raising questions about her own credibility.
Meanwhile, the Montana Department of Justice has launched a separate criminal investigation into a potential act of official misconduct linked to the case, based on early findings by the Senate Ethics Committee.
While Ellsworth remains a sitting senator, Tuesday’s vote effectively sidelines him from the workings of the Senate for the remainder of his term.
By: DNU staff