Claiton Gusler says he is a business man, a family man and a conservative. He lives in Billings. As you can see, he is “sponsoring” this billboard in Great Falls promoting Randy Pinocci in his run for Montana Senate. A billboard like this costs around $1300 for one month. It’s well over the contribution limit for an individual of $470.

Gusler can do this kind of thing because his support is considered and “independent expenditure” so long as it is not “coordinated” with Pinocci’s campaign. This is a hole in campaign finance law you can drive a truck through. Both sides are doing it and it is a large part of the reason voters are inundated with post cards, billboards and social media posts in every election cycle.  

But getting back to Gusler, he has made 16 personal contributions to republican candidates in this election cycle, including giving individually to the following from the Cascade County area: Randy Pinocci, Tony Rosales, Zack Wirth, and Jeff Pattison (for PSC.) That does not include the money he may be sliding under the door through the “independent expenditure” loop hole. In addition, he has also sponsored a billboard in Billings for Nellie Nichol. She is a supporter of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus in the legislature.

But Gusler is more than just a conservative business man from Billings. 

He is also on the Montana Sex and Violent Offender Registry. He was charged with assault with a weapon and burglary. He was sentenced in the spring of 2017 to 120 months in jail. His current status in conditional discharge from supervision.  

Photo of Claiton Gusler

Photo of Randy Pinocci

We have no idea how he came to know Pinocci.  But they have similar pictures on file.