Deliberations lasted nearly four hours; sentencing set for Sept. 10
A Helena jury convicted former state Senate President Jason Ellsworth, a Republican from Hamilton, of misdemeanor official misconduct Tuesday night after nearly four hours of deliberation. The jury found that Ellsworth improperly awarded $170,000 in no-bid contracts to Agile Analytics, a Ravalli County firm represented by a longtime business associate.
The contracts were issued in the final days of December 2024 to observe and report on state agencies as Montana implemented laws passed by the 2025 Legislature to limit the power of the courts, according to the Associated Press. Prosecutors told jurors that Ellsworth sidestepped the normal approval process for state contracts by signing the incomplete agreements first and then submitting flawed documents for state officials to legitimize.
Assistant Montana Attorney General Stephanie Robles argued that Ellsworth knew better, pointing out that at the time he was chairman of the Legislative Audit Committee, which monitors government operations.
Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Christopher Abbott set sentencing for Sept. 10. Ellsworth faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail. He exited the courthouse shortly after the verdict was read.