Brian Miller Drops Lawsuit Over Michael Eisenhauer's Ballot Status

Democratic candidate Brian Miller dropped a lawsuit on Monday challenging the ballot qualification of independent candidate Michael Eisenhauer in Montana's 2nd Congressional District. Miller had alleged that Eisenhauer lacked sufficient valid petition signatures to appear on the ballot.

The dismissal occurred after Miller arrived an hour late to a scheduled 9 a.m. court conference in Helena. Miller cited personal responsibilities and tight deadlines as the reasons for dropping the suit rather than rescheduling, though he stated the decision was not based on the merits of the case. Judge Michael McMahon subsequently dismissed the case without prejudice.

The legal challenge coincided with a Cascade County investigation into hundreds of potentially fraudulent signatures on petitions for Eisenhauer and independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar. Local authorities noted that the questioned signatures were not counted, but they stated they do not suspect the campaigns of wrongdoing.

Eisenhauer described the lawsuit as a "frivolous and desperate move" and maintained that his campaign followed all regulations.