Jergeson cleared of campaign law violations

Former State Sen. Greg Jergeson, D-Chinook, has been cleared of wrongdoing in connection with a complaint filed against him with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices.

"I think the public needs to know the accusations were baseless, and my name has been cleared," Jergeson said in an interview with the Havre Daily News.

Commissioner Jonathan Motl concluded in his Jan. 27 decision that Jergeson did not coordinate his campaign activities with the Montana League of Rural Voters, an arm of the Northern Plains Resource Council, an environmental organization, during his failed 2014 bid for the state Senate against Kris Hansen, R-Havre.

"The complaint offers no actual evidence of coordination in the form of an activity jointly planned or carried out by the candidate and MLRV," Motl said in his decision.

Will Deschamps, then-chair of the Montana Republican Party, filed the complaint against MLRV, Jergeson and Steven Muggli of Miles City in 2015. Muggli was defeated in his 2014 race for state representative in April 2015.

The complaint alleged that Jergeson and Muggli failed to report money used to pay for food, lodging and gas for canvassing done for their campaigns.

Dechamps alleges in the complaint that Jergeson and Muggli failed to disclose the names of those allegedly paid to canvass for them, and that both candidates and the MLRV did not report certain in-kind contributions, a violation of state campaign finance rules.

Jergeson denied that his campaign ever collaborated with or solicited supported from MLRV when members of the groups distributed literature favorable to him.

"I run my own campaign, and I never felt like I needed outside groups coming in and thinking they are somehow helping me with their activities," Jergeson said.

Motl said in his decision that there was no evidence that Jergeson's campaign had carried out any coordinated effort with MLRV.

Backing up his ruling, Motl cited two previous decisions taken up by the commission which said that there were no grounds under Montana law for "assumed coordination based solely on a shared vendor or shared relationship."

Jergeson said he is gratified that he has been exonerated legally and now, he hopes, in the realm of public opinion.