Essmann apologizes to Bachmeier for insulting post

Montana Republican Party Chairman Jeff Essmann has apologized to state Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, days after the party had posted a photoshopped image of the freshman legislator on the party’s social media accounts, Bachmeier said in a facebook post Thursday.

Bachmeier in a post on his Facebook page said that Essmann apologized to him Wednesday night and the posts had been taken down.

“I do not believe that this posts reflects upon the GOP as a whole and thank the Republicans who stood with me,” Bachmeier said.

He later said in an instant message conversation Thursday that Essmann, who is also a state representative from Billings, pulled him aside on the floor of the Montana House of Representatives between votes and apologized for the posts.

“I don’t believe he knew about the post until after it was posted,” Bachmeier said.  

A representative with the Montana Republican Party said questions from the Havre Daily News about the incident had been forwarded to Essmann, but were not answered before print deadline this morning.

The image made to resemble a valentine consisted of Bachmeier’s head placed on the animated body of a diaper-clad baby, with the words: ‘I’ll be your valentine as long as I’m home by 8 so my mother does not get mad.”

Similar mock Valentine’s about current Democratic office holders such as Sen. Jon Tester, Gov. Steve Bullock and Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney were also posted.

Bachmeier, 19, and the youngest state office holder in the country, was elected to the Montana House of Representatives in November, where he represents House District 28, which consists mainly of Havre.

Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Nancy Keenan and some of Bachmeier’s supporters said the meme was insulting to young people.

No official statement or apology about the image had been posted on the Montana Republican Party’s official Facebook or Twitter accounts by this morning.