A jury in Helena found former state Senate President Jason Ellsworth guilty of misdemeanor criminal official misconduct on Tuesday evening. The verdict followed nearly four hours of deliberation and related to two no-bid contracts totaling $170,000 awarded to Agile Analytics in late December 2024. Ellsworth, a Hamilton Republican, faces a potential six-month jail sentence, with sentencing scheduled for Sept. 10.
Prosecutors argued that Ellsworth circumvented standard state contract approval procedures by signing incomplete agreements first and then submitting them for legitimization by state officials. Assistant Montana Attorney General Stephanie Robles contended that Ellsworth, who served as chairman of the Legislative Audit Committee at the time, knew the proper process but chose not to follow it. The contracts involved having Agile Analytics observe and report on state agency implementation of judicial oversight laws passed by the 2025 Legislature. Robles characterized the situation as Ellsworth creating his own emergency to justify the expedited process.
Ellsworth’s legal team argued the contracts became legitimate after modifications by Legislative Services and the Department of Administration, and that the underlying work was substantive and important to the Montana Senate. The defense emphasized that the project related to judicial oversight legislation that Ellsworth had actively championed. However, prosecutors noted that Ellsworth’s 20-year relationship with Bryce Eggleston, the registered agent for Agile Analytics, was not disclosed to state staff reviewing the contracts. They also highlighted that Eggleston had registered the company only weeks before presenting the contracts to Ellsworth on Christmas Eve.
The case involved additional disputed details regarding contract procedures. The state Department of Justice accused Ellsworth of dividing the work into two contracts to avoid a bidding requirement for contracts exceeding $100,000. State employees, including Department of Administration Director Misty Ann Giles, testified that legitimizing the contracts was difficult given the circumstances. Ellsworth’s defense filed three motions to dismiss the charges on the final day of testimony, arguing jurisdictional issues, insufficient evidence of intent for personal gain, and that Ellsworth acted within his constitutional authority. Judge Christopher Abbott rejected all three motions.
The Senate had previously sanctioned Ellsworth in April 2025, banning him from the Senate floor and committees for life due to ethics violations related to the contract matter. Ellsworth’s attorneys signaled their intention to appeal the verdict to the state Supreme Court.
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