(Helena, MT) — Investigations into Montana Senator Jason Ellsworth are now in front of the Department of Justice. The state Senate President and Legislative Auditor both sent investigations into Ellsworth’s alleged abuse of power to Attorney General Austin Knudsen on Friday. It comes after the Senate voted last week to send the ethics investigation to the DOJ, with some lawmakers arguing they wanted to focus on other matters. Ellsworth is accused of agreeing to a deal with a contractor worth more than 170-thousand dollars, and splitting the contract to avoid competitive bidding on the contract.
