Former Montana Senate President Jason Ellsworth Convicted of Misconduct

A jury in Helena found former Montana Senate President Jason Ellsworth guilty of official misconduct on July 22, 2026. The conviction follows a six-day trial in Lewis and Clark District Court regarding Ellsworth's December 2024 approval of two contracts totaling $170,000 with Agile Analytics, a company linked to his friend and former business associate Bryce Eggleston.

Prosecutors argued that Ellsworth intentionally split the contracts into two amounts below $100,000 to bypass the mandatory review process of the Montana Department of Administration. While the defense contended that Ellsworth lacked proper training and acted to prevent funds from reverting to the Governor's Office, the jury found that he circumvented state bidding processes to benefit a friend. Although the contracts were eventually canceled and no money was paid, the court ruled the actions constituted a misdemeanor.

Ellsworth testified that he believed he had complete authority to approve the contracts and that a funding time crunch necessitated the arrangement. Attorney General Austin Knudsen stated that the Montana Department of Justice takes public corruption seriously. Ellsworth remains free until his sentencing on September 10, where he faces a maximum penalty of six months in county jail and a $500 fine. This verdict does not affect previous Senate disciplinary actions, which include a lifetime ban from the Senate floor.