by Ken Toole | May 11, 2026 | Republicans
We all should have received our ballots in the mail over the Mother’s day weekend. Most of us know there has been a lot of game playing in the primary this year. Perhaps the most bizarre is two Republican activists filed as Democrats. James Whitaker filed in Senate District 12 and Mark Winters in Senate District 11. Both men have consistently lied about their political affiliation. Even the chair of the local Republican Central Committee has said he does not believe they are Democrats.
And speaking of sleazy electoral moves, long term local Libertarian Party leaders have filed as Republicans. Tony Rosales filed in House District 20 and Kevin Leatherbarrow filed in House in House District 22. This pair has run for office repeatedly. Apparently they are tired of being Libertarian losers.
We should not forget that our current County Attorney, Josh Racki and Sheriff Jesse Slaughter switched from being Democrats to join the Republican Party. Obviously both of them were more committed to their own political careers than the platforms of either party. Neither of them has a democratic challenger in this election.
All of this maneuvering is a product of the current war in the local Republican Party between traditional Republicans like Ed Buttrey and George Nikakalakos and Republicans who wear tin hats to bed like Steven Galloway and Randy Pinocci.
This is a photo of a voter guide put out by the far-right contingent of the local Republican Party. If you know people who plan to vote in the Republican Primary you should give them this list (After recommending counseling and deprogramming). Let them know these are the extremists in politics everyone is complaining about.
by Ken Toole | May 6, 2026 | E-City Beat Watch
Transparent: characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices. (Webster Dictionary Definition)
The local right-wing blog, E-City Beat has been running a series of posts on non-profit organizations in Great Falls. In introducing the series the editor says the reason for the series is “in the interest of public transparency”. All E-City Beat is doing is copying legally required, publicly available, financial reports. They provide no other information about the work and services these local organizations provide. Apparently E-City Beat makes no effort to contact the subject organizations (though several have responded in the comments that the financial documents don’t provide a complete picture of the organization’s work and are often not timely.)
We can’t help but point out the irony of a local blog that claims to support “public transparency” routinely fails to disclose the identity of the authors of their material. That could be because one of their frequent contributors is City Commissioner, Rick Tryon. Further, Tryon has been employed by Stray Moose Productions, which is owned by Phil Faccenda, the founder and editor of E-City Beat.
In 2023, Jasmine Taylor (who is also one of the founders of WTF406.com) filed an ethics complaint against Tryon questioning his relationship with Stray Moose and E-City Beat deriving income violating the city ethics code. Tryon failed to attend the hearing on the complaint and refused to provide any financial information to the ethics committee. Not surprisingly, the complaint was dismissed. During their discussion, ethics committee members said they struggled with the lack of available information. https://theelectricgf.com/2023/11/13/ethics-committee-deems-complaint-against-tryon-unsubstantiated/#:~:text=Tryon%20did%20not%20attend%20the%20ethics%20committee,of%20E%2DCity%20Beat%2C%20only%20a%20volunteer%20contributor
So, how’s that for public transparency?
by Ken Toole | Apr 29, 2026 | Elections
Probably one of the most hotly contested Republican Primary fights in Montana is between Nikolakakas and Randy Pinocci to replace Wendy McKamey to represent Montana Senate District 12. Also in Senate District 12 republican shill Jim Whitaker filed as a Democrat. Nikolakakas posted the below on Facebook.
“Normally don’t address my opponent in races much as it can elevate them but career politician Randy Pinocci is a literal criminal and his dark money overlords are spending 100’s of thousands in this race lying about me. Not even talking about the arguably criminal massive utility rate hikes and scandals we’ve experienced while he’s been on the PSC making 6 figures on our tax dime spiking his pension.
A serial litigant, he’s been involved in dozens of lawsuits to boot, including one regarding his Marijuana profit sharing agreement going to the supreme court.
Randy was a massive failure in the legislature passing only a single do nothing bill despite tons of attempts wasting tax payer money while he was caught repeatedly playing video games on the people’s floor.
Randy Pinocci has been an embarrassment to Great Falls for years. Time to send this career politician home.
We have two very different records. I’m confident the people of Great Falls will be doing the right thing and retire this clown.”
This year it seems there is a lot of game playing around legislative elections. We have leaders in the local Libertarian Party filing as Republicans and Republicans filing as Democrats. In Senate District 12 well known Republican Jim Whitaker has filed as a Democrat. See our post below.
https://wtf406.com/2026/03/campaign-season-is-here-and-its-raining-drama/
by Ken Toole | Apr 6, 2026 | Cascade County, Corruption, Law enforcement
(Kevin Leatherbarrow and Tony Rosales pictured promoting the Cascade Effect Podcast)
The Cascade Effect Podcast bills itself as “A true-crime anthology podcast investigating corruption and negligence of law enforcement in Cascade County, Montana, a county that is known for its heavy-handed police work as well as the incarceration and harassment of innocent civilians.”
The first season of The Cascade Effect investigates a confrontation between a sheriff’s deputy and a man named Michael Hanson which resulted in the death of Hanson and wounding of the deputy. Last summer a coroner’s jury deliberated for a short time and came back with a unanimous decision that the shooting was not by criminal means. The Coroner’s Jury found no wrong doing in Hanson’s death. (It’s a long, complicated story, thoroughly covered by The Electric) https://theelectricgf.com/2024/06/04/inquest-determines-feb-23-fatal-shooting-by-deputy-justified/
Subsequently, local Libertarian activists Tony Rosales and Kevin Leatherbarrow (both are currently running for legislative seats as Republicans) and local militia promoter Bart Crabtree all filed a writ of mandamus with the Montana Supreme Court seeking a citizens grand jury to investigate the determination of the coroner’s action absolving the deputy of wrongdoing. They were joined in this request by Jake Green, the producer of The Cascade Effect.
What Does Recovery Centers of Montana have to do with all of this?
Recovery Centers of Montana (RCM) has had a relationship with the sheriff’s office to provide referrals for rehabilitation services to inmates from the Cascade County Detention Center. Recently, Recovery Centers of Montana also became a sponsor of The Cascade Effect. Jake Green posted on Facebook that, four days after announcing their partnership, RCM received the email below from the sheriff’s office.
Good afternoon. Please see the directive below. From this point forward the Cascade County Detention Center will no longer facilitate or fund services for inmates associated with Recovery Centers of Montana. It has come to our attention that RCM is a sponsor of The Cascade Effect which is a podcast promoting false narratives about members of the Cascade County Sheriff’s office which we believe is a conflict of interest in dealing with RCM. Despite our differences we still intend to encourage defence attorneys and inmates to diligently work together in getting their clients into any and all forms of treatment including treatment from RCM. If you have any questions contact undersheriff Scott Van Dyke. Thank you for your time. Alicia Otis, Community Care Coordinator.
RCM said that they have not received any referrals from the sheriff’s office since receiving the email.
Those of us who have served in public office generally understand that we will have critics, and that those critics will make all kinds of public statements. But Sheriff Jesse Slaughter, in his desire to get back at The Cascade Effect because he doesn’t like their coverage of his office, has crossed a line. Not only is it unprofessional and peevish, it is likely a violation of the Montana Governmental Code of Fair Practices’ prohibitions of retaliation for human rights activity. Both The Cascade Effect and RCM can claim damages and seek payment from Cascade County. Whether either entity will do that remains to be seen. We have to wonder where County Attorney Josh Racki was while all of this was going on.
by Ken Toole | Mar 7, 2026 | Independent, Politics, Republicans
Most of us were stunned at the Machiavellian maneuvering on the last day of the filing period for public office in Montana.
After a brief period of “will he or won’t he file as a Democrat,” Seth Bodnar filed as an independent for Montana’s U.S. Senate seat on March 4 at 9:17 AM.
Some time after that Steve Daines withdrew from the Senate race.
Billings lawyer, Kurt Alme, filed to run for the Senate seat at 4:52 PM on March 4, just eight minutes before the deadline.
So here’s one reason for the last minute shuffle on the filing deadline.
Republicans understood that Seth Bodnar could be a compelling candidate if he filed as a Democrat. Much less so if he filed as an independent. Incumbent Daines is the strongest person to protect that Republican seat from a serious Democratic challenge.
Early in the morning of the last day to file Bodnar files as an independent which kicked off this Spy vs Spy conspiracy. Daines resigns. Hours later Alme announces he is running with the support of Daines, President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and Gov. Greg Gianforte. Obviously this plan has been in the works for some time.
But why would Daines do this now rather than waiting until after the election? It’s hard to argue that Alme or anyone else in the Republican ranks would be as strong a candidate as Daines, who has the power of incumbency and $4.9 million in the bank before the race even starts.
The answer is simple. If Daines resigned after the election the process to fill a vacant Senate seat is that the State Republican Central Committee nominates three people, and the Governor selects from those names. And the truth is the GOP in Montana is dominated by far-right looneys and Daines and his pals didn’t trust them to nominate someone who doesn’t wear a tin hat to bed. Someone like Alme (who would be a big improvement over Daines in the Senate).
Or it could just be that Daines is a megalomaniac who couldn’t stand not choosing his successor.
You decide.
See our previous posts on the Montana Senate race
Handing Steve Daines The Next Election?
Open Letter To Seth Bodnar
Tester Disses Democrats
