MTGOP Passes Resolution Condemning Massive Spending by Far-Left Out-of-State Billionaires in Montana Republican Primary Races

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 13th, 2026

HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) Executive Board passed a
resolution on Monday condemning massive spending in Montana’s Republican primary races by far-Left, out-of-state funded organizations.

According to publicly available records, Democratic out-of-state billionaires are funneling millions of dollars into Montana through a network of dark money nonprofits and organizations, among which is the deceitfully named Conservatives4MT; which, according to public records, spent over $620,000 in one month in Montana Republican primary races.

Conservatives4MT receives Democratic dark money via the following network: George Soros’s 1630 Fund sends money to Western Futures Fund, which sends it to WAY BACK PAC, which then funnels it to Conservatives4MT.  

To date, Conservative4MT’s expenditures were deployed in 37 Montana Republican primary races in support of the following candidates for state legislature:

  1. HD03 Derek Peachey
  2. HD04 Lyn Bennett
  3. HD06 Arthur Dunn
  4. HD07 Courtenay Sprunger
  5. HD13 Linda Reksten
  6. HD17 Susan Geise
  7. HD20 Melissa Nikolakakos
  8. HD21 Eric Peterson
  9. HD22 Jason Lorang
  10. HD23 Eric Tilleman
  11. HD28 Chisholm Christensen
  12. HD29 Valerie Moore
  13. HD33 Brandon Ler
  14. HD36 Ty Linger
  15. HD40 Gunner Cesnik
  16. HD49 Ole Hedstrom
  17. HD52 Stacy Zinn
  18. HD53 Troy Charbonneau
  19. HD55 Brad Barker
  20. HD67 Russel Nelson
  21. HD68 Jennifer Carlson
  22. HD69 Ken Walsh
  23. HD76 John Fitzpatrick
  24. HD84 Roy Caldwell
  25. HD85 Michelle Binkley
  26. HD86 Wayne Rusk
  27. HD90 Curtis Cochran
  28. SD01 Neil Duram
  29. SD09 Llew Jones
  30. SD11 Ed Buttrey
  31. SD12 George Nikolakakos
  32. SD14 Eric Albus
  33. SD18 Doug Martens
  34. SD19 Chris Rindal
  35. SD34 Shelley Vance
  36. SD42 Mike Talia
  37. SD43 David Bedey

16 of these candidates (in bold) were identified in the prior resolutions (Fireweed Resolution No. 1 and No. 2) as having a direct relationship with this Progressive dark money network through connected committees, including direct contributions and staffing expenditures and services.

The resolution denounces and condemns Conservatives4MT and its Progressive dark money network for undermining the integrity of the Montana Republican primary electoral process and betraying Montana Republican voters, and further, calls upon Conservatives4MT to cease and desist from further interjecting itself into Montana Republican primary races.

The resolution also calls upon candidates in all 37 races who received the benefit of Conservatives4MT’s independent expenditures to publicly disavow and condemn their attempts to influence Montana’s Republican primary electoral process; to demand immediately and publicly that Conservatives4MT cease and desist from participating in their race; and to reaffirm their commitment to Montana voters’ Republican Party.

The resolution asks all Montana Republicans “to unite in defending the integrity of our Montana Republican primary electoral process and to reject any tactics that compromise fair and transparent party elections that determine Montana Republican nominees.”

A full copy of the resolution can be found HERE.

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