HELENA, Mont. – As career politician Mike Cooney launches his “Mike Cooney’s For Sale” Tour for being the largest recipient of out-of-state and special interest dollars in Montana’s gubernatorial race, Cooney hypocritically tweeted today that outside money and special interests should not be involved in our elections.

To date, career politician Mike Cooney has received $11,067,273 from out-of-state and special interest groups – making him the largest recipient of outside spending in this race.

As a reminder, Cooney took a pledge to limit outside money in the gubernatorial election in last October. Even if other Democratic gubernatorial candidates didn’t sign the pledge, Cooney committed – at the time – to “follow the conditions” regardless.

Those conditions include donating 50 cents of every outside dollar that benefits his campaign to charity. By Cooney’s own calculations, he owes over $5.5 million and counting to charity today.

The Montana Republican Party issued the following statement in response:

“Career politician Mike Cooney’s pledge, subsequent rhetoric, and new tour against outside spending amounts to nothing more than political theatre,” said MTGOP spokeswoman Brooke Stroyke. “From misleading voters on outside spending, to misleading voters on his history of supporting a sales tax, Lieutenant Governor Cooney simply can’t be taken at his word.”