Montana’s attorney general said he recruited token primary opponent to increase campaign fundraising
HELENA, Mont. — Montana’s attorney general told his supporters he had circumvented state campaign finance laws by inviting another Republican to run against him as a token candidate in next month’s primary so he could raise more money for the general election in November, according to a recording of a fundraising event.
“Technically, I have a primary,” Attorney General Austin Knudsen said last week when asked at the event who was running against him. “However, he is a young man who I asked to run against me because our campaign laws are ridiculous.”
Knudsen is separately facing dozens of allegations of professional misconduct from the prosecutor’s office as he seeks a second term. He made the comments about his primary opponent at the May 11 fundraiser in Dillon, Montana, according to the recording obtained by the Daily Montanan, which is part of the nonprofit States Newsroom.
In the recording, Knudsen is heard saying that Logan Olson “filed to run against me simply because our current campaign finance laws in Montana allow me to raise more money. So he supports me and he is going to vote for me.”
Knudsen’s senior campaign adviser Jake Eaton declined to comment on the recording.
Olson, a district attorney in rural northeastern Montana, denied being recruited by Knudsen. Campaign finance records show his filing fees were paid by a longtime Republican operative who is also a Knudsen donor.
The state’s campaign finance watchdog agency, the Commissioner of Political Practices, is investigating complaints filed by the executive director of the Montana Democratic Party alleging a deal between Knudsen and Olson.
Under state law, a person cannot pay or “promise” valuable consideration to another person to induce him to run for office, or to withdraw as a candidate.
The complaints from Democrat Sheila Hogan say that without a primary opponent, Knudsen began raising donations that exceeded the allowable $790 per person well before Olson filed on March 11 — the last day for candidate filing.
“Olson is not a legitimate, good-faith candidate for attorney general,” both complaints state.
Eaton, who called the complaint against Knudsen frivolous, said it is “common for candidates to accept primary and general contributions and then return the money if there is no disputed primary contribution.”
He suggested that Democratic attorney general candidate Ben Alke, a Bozeman attorney, also accepted more money than allowed from individual donors.
However, a search of Alke’s campaign finance reports only shows contributions to his primary campaign.
Knudsen and Olson have until May 23 to respond to the complaints, although Olson has requested an extension, Commissioner Chris Gallus said Friday.
Olson raised or spent no money during the race, according to a report his treasurer filed Friday.
His April campaign finance report listed a debt of more than $1,500 to Standard Consulting of Helena for reimbursement of his filing fee.
“I paid Logan’s filing fees and helped him run for office,” Chuck Denowh, a Republican operative and owner of Standard Consulting, said in an email Friday. “I did this because he asked me to.”
Denowh has donated $1,580 to Knudsen – $790 each for the primary and general election.
Alke said Knudsen’s allegations of professional misconduct and other actions are the reason he is running for attorney general.
Knudsen faces 41 charges of professional misconduct over allegations that his office tried to undermine the Montana Supreme Court while defending a state law on judicial appointments. The Commission on Practice will hear the case in mid-July and recommend whether Knudsen should be punished.
Separately, in early 2021, Knudsen instructed the Lewis and Clark County attorney to dismiss concealed weapons charges against a man who allegedly threatened a restaurant manager who was trying to enforce the state’s pandemic mask mandate. Knudsen’s office later argued the case for disorderly conduct.
In October 2021, a Helena hospital said three unspecified government officials threatened doctors after refusing to treat a COVID-19 patient with ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug not federally approved for the virus. Knudsen’s office later confirmed that he had participated in a conference call with hospital administrators and that he had sent a Montana Highway Patrol trooper to the hospital to speak to the patient’s family after they alleged they had been abused – something the hospital denied.
“This type of behavior from the chief legal officer and law enforcement officer of the state of Montana is inappropriate and I hope people pay attention because this is just one of many issues with Austin Knudsen,” Alke said Thursday.