Gadhafi regime reached out to Montana candidate

HELENA — A candidate for governor in Montana says the family of Moammar Gadhafi sought his help earlier this year in finding an exit strategy for the deposed Libyan leader.

But Republican Neil Livingstone told The Associated Press on Thursday that he and other Americans interested in helping broker such a deal were rebuffed by the Treasury Department, so he never proceeded with any negotiations.

Livingstone has been a security and terrorism expert in Washington, D.C., for decades. He was vocal earlier this year in his opinion that the allies needed to provide Gadhafi a way out of Libya that didn't require him to face trial for war crimes. The frequent television commentator says such a move would have brought the conflict to a quick end.