A Montana Republican running for re-election as Attorney General admitted to asking his primary challenger to run against him in order to take advantage of campaign fundraising laws that allow him to raise more money with a primary opponent. The challenger, Logan Olson, has not reported any campaign contributions or expenditures, and there are allegations that the incumbent, Austin Knudsen, may have violated Montana law by paying for Olson’s filing fee and potentially promising him something of value to run or drop out.
Knudsen is already facing professional misconduct charges for actions taken in his role as Attorney General, and if re-elected, he will ultimately face Democrat Ben Alke in the general election in November. Alke has criticized Knudsen’s behavior and ethics, calling attention to what he sees as inappropriate conduct from the state’s chief legal officer.
The Truth Voices reached out to Knudsen and Olson for comment, but received no response.
