Commissioner of Political Practices for the State Ex Rel. Mangan v. Wittich

¶1 Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices, Jonathan Motl, initiated a judicial action against then-State Senator Art Wittich in April 2014, alleging that Wittich violated Montana campaign finance and practices laws during his 2010 primary campaign for Senate District 35. Following a five-day trial, a Lewis and Clark County jury concluded that Wittich accepted and failed to report nearly $20,000 in *349campaign contributions, including coordinated in-kind contributions, in violation of Montana campaign laws. The District Court denied Wittich’s motion for a new trial and entered an order…