During a heated Senate debate in Montana, Republican candidate Tim Sheehy took aim at his opponent, Democrat Sen. Jon Tester, over his ties to lobbyists. Sheehy, a U.S. Navy SEAL, accused Tester of being the top recipient of lobbyist cash, citing data from 2023-2024 that shows Tester received more money from lobbyists than any other senator.
“While I was serving in Afghanistan, Tester was enjoying lobbyist-funded steaks in Washington D.C.,” Sheehy said, highlighting the contrast between his own military service and Tester’s lobbying ties.
Sheehy also took to social media to share the data, posting on X that Tester is the “#1 recipient of lobbyist cash in the ENTIRE COUNTRY.” The claim is backed up by a report from The Washington Free Beacon, which found that Tester took more money from lobbyists than any senator last year.
Despite his own lobbying ties, Tester has attempted to turn the tables on Sheehy, releasing a television ad that labels Sheehy “shady” for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbyist cash. However, Sheehy’s data suggests that Tester is the one with the real lobbying problem.
As one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats this year, Tester’s lobbying ties could be a major liability in his re-election bid.
