by WTF 406 Staff | Aug 27, 2023 | Elections
In case you haven’t noticed, free and fair elections are under attack. Most recently the election denier crowd here in Cascade County is bringing another roadshow charlatan here to Great Falls. This guy’s name is Douglas Frank, a former high school math and science teacher from Ohio. And it appears he is a target of an FBI probe into voter fraud in numerous states.
In April, he appeared in six public meetings in Wyoming and held private meetings with legislators and the Wyoming Secretary of State. His actions prompted the Association of Clerk and Recorders to issue a letter to the Secretary of State, Chuck Gray, which said, “Throughout those meetings, we have concluded that Dr. Frank conveys claims of impropriety but provides no proof to support his allegations.” Malcolm Ervin, Platte County clerk and president of the clerks’ association, also wrote to Gray on March 29. “One would think that Dr. Frank would be eager to prove this capability but rather than proof, Dr. Frank offers an unverifiable story.”
Last spring the election deniers brought other so-called “experts” to town for another public meeting. In addition to Republican State Senator Theresa Manzella, the self appointed Queen of election deniers in Montana, they brought in a shady character named Mark Cook. Among other things, Cook was implicated in litigation and investigations in Colorado over illegal copying of voting records. (WTF406.com has written several articles, some examples here and here, on the election deniers here in Great Falls.)
It turns out that Douglas Frank is also a target in an FBI probe of voting fraud in Colorado arising from some of the same incidents Mark Cook had allegedly been involved in. In September, his cell phone was confiscated by the FBI. Mike Lindell’s (The My Pillow Guy and major supporter of election fraud conspiracy theories) phone was also taken in part of the same investigation. Documents that Lindell showed on his on-line program said investigators were seeking evidence of crimes committed by Lindell and several associates, including Frank. Lindell said that he had hired Frank for several projects but was not aware of all of his activities and denied any involvement in the incidents in Colorado.
As Donald Trump faces state and federal criminal indictment for his efforts to steal the 2020 election, here in Great Falls election conspiracists continue promoting their wacky theories and generally fouling up the Clerk and Recorder’s office. Since taking office in January, our new Clerk and Recorder, Sandra Merchant, has managed to screw up virtually everything she touches. The school election was completely fouled up, a court ordered a special monitor to oversee the library levy election to guarantee it was properly administered, there are currently three lawsuits filed against the county challenging Merchant’s administration of local elections.
Merchant is not just incompetent. She is also corrupt. Most recently Merchant and members of her staff went to a meeting held at the high-end Chico Hot Springs Resort at an estimated cost of more than $3,000 to the taxpayers. Virtually, every new hire in the Clerk and Recorder’s office has been filled by her cronies, including the wife and daughter of far-right Republican Public Service Commissioner, Randy Pinocci. Makes one wonder where the County Attorney and County Human Resources office is since political patronage hiring is clearly illegal under state law.
So, now Frank is bringing his roadshow to Great Falls. He will be appearing on August 29 at MSU College of Technology. It makes one wonder what kinds of shenanigans Sandra Merchant and her cronies are up to now that they control the local Clerk and Recorder’s office.
–KT
For more on Frank and the investigation in Colorado, check out these articles:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2022/09/15/douglas-frank-fbi-phone-lindell/?nid=top_pb_signin&arcId=FE2NUTK67ZEHBKFRPUDJNDFXGE&account_location=ONSITE_HEADER_ARTICLE
https://wkzo.com/2022/02/17/colorado-elections-clerk-sued-after-passing-on-voting-data/
Photo of Douglas Frank from the Los Angeles Times
by WTF 406 Staff | Aug 22, 2023 | Elections
Can’t Make This Stuff Up!
Just when you think it can’t get much more weird, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Elsie Arntzen, finds yet another bizarre way to enter the Tin-Foil-Hat Hall of Fame. Here’s her recent statement from La La Land.
“It’s imperative that we talk about these challenging issues. Let’s talk about boys in girls bathrooms and that safety issue. Let’s talk about those litter boxes that some schools are putting out for children who want to view themselves as some sort of an animal. Is this where public education should be? I say no.”
—State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, speaking about culture war issues in public schools during an Aug. 15 interview on Voices of Montana radio.
https://montanafreepress.org/2023/08/21/state-superintendent-arntzen-claims-to-have-evidence-for-litter-box-use-in-montana-schools/
While we are at it, we would be remiss not to point out recent bizarre and unsubstantiated claims made by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen. The Montana Free Press covered Knudsen’s statements as follows:
“Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has accused one of the state’s most prominent abortion providers of falsifying records and ‘flagrantly’ violating state law by withholding required reports about sexual assault against minors and statutory rape, suggesting that similar alleged inaction by the organization ‘could be happening with human trafficking victims.’”
https://montanafreepress.org/2023/08/15/knudsen-suggests-planned-parenthood-of-montana-abets-human-trafficking/
by WTF 406 Staff | Aug 19, 2023 | E-City Beat Watch, Elections
Proponents of censorship lost their fight opposing the library mill levy election, but they are not done trying to control what people can read or see at the library. The next battle coming will be for library board appointments. And they have Commissioners Joe McKenney and Rick Tryon in their hip pockets.
When current library board member, Anne Bulger, came before the City Commission for reappointment at its July 18 meeting, Commissioners Tryon and McKenney suddenly objected to the process the city has used for years to fill board appointments without advertising. In fact, McKenney and Tryon both voted to appoint two positions on the Business Improvement District Board just two weeks before without advertising, and neither one raised any concern about the process.
https://theelectricgf.com/2023/07/19/city-delays-library-board-reappointment/
As a result of their objection, the Commission voted to delay the Library Board appointment until they had a chance to review the appointment process. On August 2, the Commission amended the appointment process to require advertising and posting of City Board vacancies.
https://theelectricgf.com/2023/08/08/city-amends-board-appointment-policy/
Let’s not kid ourselves about what is going on here. The opponents of the library mill levy are still licking their wounds from their loss at the ballot box. They are not done trying to censure the library, and you can bet they will have their preferred candidates to fill vacant board positions. It is not coincidence that this all comes up when a library board member is up for reappointment. If the commissioners were primarily concerned about the “process,” they could have, and should have, adopted the changes between board appointments, instead of in the middle of filling a specific and controversial board position. Tryon’s and McKenney’s motivation is clear. They are pandering to the far right to garner votes in the coming city election. We’re a little perplexed by the fact that Commissioner Susan Wolff went along with them.
By almost all accounts, Anne Bulger has been a diligent and hard working member of the Library Board. Not much has been said about how she feels about having the process changed after she applied and before the decision was made. It’s a hell of a thing to treat a volunteer board member like this. But, of course, Tryon and McKenney have other things on their mind.
KT
Note: Stay tuned for articles about the lawsuit filed by pro-censorship people challenging the library mill levy election.
by WTF 406 Staff | Jul 25, 2023 | Elections, Schools
When we wrote our first Republican Police Blotter post we didn’t think it would become a regular thing but. . . .
Belgrade school board trustee, Brian Heck has been arrested in a human trafficking and child exploitation sting organized by law enforcement in Gallatin County. He has been charged with patronizing a prostitute. Heck has resigned his position. Of course School Board trustee positions are nonpartisan. But during his campaign, the Belgrade News reported that Heck said, “I will have no tolerance for progressive social agendas being pushed on children in the classroom” and that he was a big “parents’ rights” advocate. He also received a $300 contribution from the local Republican Party during his school board race. He only had one other contributor. We’re going out on a limb here and saying he is a Republican. Correct us if we are wrong.
In other news, on July 12th Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen pled guilty to causing a rear end collision in Helena Municipal Court. The accident occurred on June 12. She was cited for following too close. Arntzen initially pled not guilty but changed her plea. Someone must have told her that rear ending another person’s vehicle is almost always the fault of the person in the following car. She was fined $100.
Speaking of Arntzen’s driving skills, in June of last year she pled no contest to passing a school bus with its stop arm extended. She said she was unaware she had done it. The video provided by the bus driver clinched the investigation. Ironic that, in her official capacity, she oversees the School bus safety program for the state.
by WTF 406 Staff | Jul 24, 2023 | E-City Beat Watch, Elections
The library is once again the target of the right-wing here in Great Falls. This time it’s about filling a vacancy on the library board. At its July 18 meeting, the Great Falls City Commission chose not to fill an open position by reappointing an existing board member, which is the common practice when incumbent city board members wish to be reappointed. Instead, the commission voted (without Mayor Bob Kelly, who was absent) to delay until the appointment process could be “reviewed.” And that is where the hypocrisy comes in.
City delays library board reappointment
Commissioners McKenney and Tryon donned the mantle of transparent government and argued that, since the city appointments are not consistently advertised, the commission should review the process before filling the opening. The city does not advertise all available board openings. It probably should. The problem with McKenney and Tryon is they didn’t mean it. At the July 5th meeting, the commissioners appointed two members to the business improvement district without advertising and without a peep about the appointment process. Hmm what could the difference be?
Of course the difference is politics. Tryon and McKenney should just be honest about that and not use some smoke screen like “transparency” and “good government” to cloak their political agenda. Tryon comes directly out of the tin-foil-hat-conspiracy Republicans here in Great Falls, and McKenney has been pandering to the Pachyderm Club for votes in his bid for mayor. Not to be cynical or anything like that, but it sure appears that the decision to hold up a library board appointment is just one more chapter in the far right attack on our library. Stay tuned for the actual appointment to the library board. No doubt the right wingers will put forth a candidate who is committed to being a thorn in the library’s side. And it looks like they will have McKenney and Tryon in their back pockets.
End Note: The attack on local libraries is occurring nationally and here in Montana. Here are a couple of Montana examples.
Flathead County Library- https://flatheadbeacon.com/2022/07/23/in-wake-of-library-board-shake-up-book-removal-advocates-appear-emboldened%ef%bf%bc/
Billings Library-
https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/moms-for-liberty-call-for-labeling-lgbtq-books-at-billings-public-library/article_7e0996d6-1f79-11ee-b267-676e00e1ef47.html
by WTF 406 Staff | Jul 17, 2023 | Elections
We want to hear from you!
We have been hearing lots of allegations about the hiring practices at Sandra Merchant’s Clerk and Recorder’s office. Merchant is hiring individuals with preexisting political connections, specifically the election denial campaign before the last election, and, most recently, family members of Republican elected officials.
We think there’s a chance that Merchant’s employment practices constitute illegal employment discrimination. The problem is that the people who applied for the open positions and were not hired very likely do not know the law, or even who the successful applicants may be. We want to find and talk with folks who applied for these positions and did not get hired.
So, we are asking for your help. If you know anyone who has applied for work at the Clerk and Recorder’s office since Sandra Merchant was elected, or anyone who was discouraged from applying for a job in that office, please get in touch with us.
See our previous article on hiring in the Clerk and Recorder’s office.
https://wtf406.com/2023/02/clerk-and-recorder-staff-changes-is-new-hire-a-political-crony/
