Jury convicts Montana Sen. Jason Ellsworth of official misconduct

A Lewis and Clark County jury convicted Montana state Sen. Jason Ellsworth of official misconduct in Helena after nearly four hours of deliberation, turning a no-bid contracting dispute into a criminal conviction for the Hamilton Republican and former Montana Senate president.

The misdemeanor case centered on allegations tied to a roughly $171,000 no-bid state contract with Agile Analytics, a company owned by a longtime friend and business partner. Ellsworth pleaded not guilty to the charge on Jan. 23, and a court suspended him from office during the prosecution on Jan. 7, forcing the senator out of his legislative role while the case moved through Helena district court.

The verdict gives new weight to earlier findings from a legislative auditor, who concluded on Jan. 24, 2025, that Ellsworth had committed waste and abuse. State officials later said on Jan. 17, 2026, that they were forced to rush Ellsworth’s contracts, and Ellsworth backed off the controversial agreement after the issue became public on Jan. 20, 2025. Those episodes placed the contract under mounting scrutiny long before jurors were seated.

The trial itself became a weeklong test of the state’s handling of the matter. Montana Free Press reported on July 13 that the criminal trial was set to begin that Tuesday, and on July 17 that prosecution witnesses had introduced newly public information during the first week. With the jury’s guilty verdict now returned in Helena, the case has moved from audit findings and political dispute into a formal criminal conviction, raising fresh questions inside the Montana Senate about ethics enforcement, contracting oversight and the standards applied to elected officials who control public money.