Sen. Regier calls ethics allegations a 'witch hunt'

On the last day before the 69th Montana Legislature adjourned for transmittal break and after the Senate held a marathon floor session to debate and vote on 99 bills, one lawmaker stood up and unleashed a series of allegations against the Senate president, requesting the chamber open an ethics investigation.

The allegations by Sen. Shelley Vance, R-Belgrade, stem from an article published by the Montana Free Press last week, which laid out a series of actions taken by current Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, when he hired a lawyer using taxpayer funds during the 2023 session and interim period.

“It’s a witch hunt,” Regier told reporters after the Senate adjourned, adding that every action he took was “100% legal and business as normal.”