18 October 2022 — 1053 mdt
GOP low roader Jake Eaton hurls a bucket of October
mud at nonpartisan MTSC Justice Ingrid Gustafson
By James Conner
Comparing Montana Republican operative Jake Eaton to Roger Stone would be unfair. He’s not as famous as Stone, and unlike Stone, he’s done nothing to earn a Presidential Pardon or the functional state level equivalent thereof. But some might fear he’s on his way to such an honor.
Jake took a step in that direction last week.
Mara Silvers, in an outstanding story at the Montana Free Press, reported yesterday that on Friday, Eaton sent to Montana’s news media copies of two ethics complaints against incumbent Montana Supreme Court Justice he filed with Montana’s Judicial Standards Commission. Eaton is connected with the campaign of James Brown, Gustafson’s Republican backed opponent on the November ballot.
Gustafson’s campaign argues that releasing the complaints violated Montana law.
Gustafson was appointed to the district court by GOP Gov. Judy Martz, and to the supreme court by Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. By all reputable accounts, she’s a jurist’s jurist who assiduously and successfully keeps politics out of the courtroom.
Brown, an unabashed Republican now serving on Montana’s Public Service Commission, has a reputation as a lobbyist and political fixer (see Nelson and Thueson). Montana’s Republicans appear to believe that he will uphold as constitutional unconstitutional laws that the legislature knew were were unconstitutional but passed anyway (that’s the "Let’s see if we can get away with it" school of legislating). The same Republicans appear to believe that Gustafson will uphold the constitution — and that’s their beef with her.
Eaton, of course, is well known for his attempted voter suppression escapade during his tenure as the executive director of the MT GOP. Reports Silvers:
Eaton also previously served as executive director of the state Republican Party. He resigned that position in 2008 under high-profile legal scrutiny for attempting to challenge the registration of 6,000 voters in liberal-leaning Montana counties. At the time, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy called the unsuccessful tactic “political chicanery” and “a tawdry political ploy.” [This link may be behind a paywall.]
Does Eaton’s decision to release the complaints at the moment absentee ballots were being mailed reek of the proverbial rotten mackerel by moonlight? You bet your southern exposure it does.
Again, here’s Silvers:
Smith, secretary for the standards commission, told MTFP Monday that the commission members last met on Sept. 19. She said she typically passes new complaints to commission members for review two to three weeks before their scheduled meetings.
Eaton told MTFP he filed the complaints on Oct. 14, rather than in August, because he’s “a busy guy.”
“I’ve three kids to raise and a business to run, I got around to filing these complaints as quick as I could,” Eaton wrote.
Eaton, who lives in Billings and runs the consulting firm The Political Company in addition to working for the political action group supporting Brown, has a long track record in Montana politics. He recently managed the campaigns of Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and Republican Attorney General Austin Knudsen and has coordinated endorsements and polling in support of Brown and against Gustafson throughout this year’s election.
In April, Eaton sent two emails to members of the media with the subject line “Friday fun facts” accusing Gustafson of improper association with former Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock and donors who have supported Democrats in past elections.
If Jake spent more time with his lovely children, he would improve his reputation because he wouldn’t have time to walk the low road as a political hit man hauling buckets of October mud.
Disclosure. Flathead Memo endorsed Gustafson on 16 May.