#MTGov Daily Rundown: Governor Bullock Continues to Use the State Plan for Campaigning, Refuses to Reimburse the Full Cost

Governor Steve Bullock continues to use the taxpayer funded state plane to fly to and from campaign events, his latest campaign finance report has shown.

 "Montana Gov. Steve Bullock’s use of a state plane for campaigning continues, according to election finance reports in which his campaign paid the state $1,155 for airfare.

Campaign finance reports filed Monday by the Bullock Campaign with the Commissioner of Political Practices, didn’t go into detail about the expenses covered. 

But an invoice from the Office of the Governor included nine flights, for which the state requested Bullock’s campaign pay for pilot salaries and benefits associated with waiting for Bullock, a Democrat, to return from non-government events, such as fundraising. The invoice listed 15½ hours of pilot time, and the dates in which the hours were incurred." -Billings Gazette, 8/2/2016 

The governor's office REFUSED to disclose the details of the flights, such as where the plane was flown, or the official events or campaign events during those uses of the plane.

"The governor’s office didn’t disclose what, if any, official purpose the flight had, or where the government airplane was flown, or the campaign events for which the pilot’s shift was extended." -Billings Gazette, 8/2/2016

Governor Bullock was caught last month abusing his state plane privileges again, as it emerged that he flew in the state plane to Missoula for a Paul McCartney concert.

“After a row over inappropriate uses of the state airplane, Montana Governor Steve Bullock is now being asked if that plane was used for personal enjoyment. Flight logs indicate that the state plane landed at Missoula International Airport at 4:03 P.M., just about an hour before the doors were open to the public at the Paul McCartney concert on August 5, 2014. The concert was possibly the highest profile music event in Montana’s history and many high-profile attendees were in the crowd, including Montana Governor Steve Bullock.”  -KGVO, 7/8/2016

Bullock's payment of $1,155 also raises questions about how the governor is calculating repayments, as legislators have stated that the cost of operating the plane is $1,650 for a single hour. Republican Party Chairman Jeff Essmann notes that the governor's controversial use of the plane to attend a rock concert in Missoula would alone cost more than $15,000.

"Chairman Jeff Essmann of the Montana Republican Party called on Governor Bullock today to fully reimburse taxpayers for using the State plane to attend the Paul McCartney concert at a cost of $15,255.00:

“While Bullock lived the high-life attending cocktail parties and enjoying the Paul McCartney concert, Montana taxpayers were stuck paying his tab,” said Chairman Jeff Essmann. “Now, it is illegal for Bullock to selectively choose which campaign flights to pay back, and it is illegal for Bullock to not pay the true value of his campaign travels. He’s abusing his power and his behavior runs contrary to the Montana values we expect to see in our elected officials.” -Montana GOP, 8/3/2016

Earlier this year, Bullock was caught using the plane for campaign activities. He has also been criticized for using the plane for short trips from Helena to Butte or Great Falls where flying does not save much time, but still costs taxpayers more money.

“Criticism of the flights surfaced on social media after it was mentioned in a Feb. 10 Associated Press report that Bullock, a Democrat, was unavailable for comment because he was in Billings making peanut butter sandwiches for the homeless and attending a campaign fundraiser. Bullock had flown to Billings for those events, plus a TV interview and a meeting with a union official. Similar business trips capped by campaign fundraisers also took place in Bozeman and Missoula.” -Billings Gazette, 3/11/2016

“Rep. Ryan Osmundson, chairman of the subcommittee, said his interest was piqued by Bullock’s use of the plane to fly from Helena to Butte. The two communities are 67 miles apart by car. The governor’s plane costs about $1,650 an hour to operate, Osmundson said.” Billings Gazette, 3/11/2016

 The Billings Gazette took the governor to task for his abuse of a taxpayer resource.

‘It seems to us Bullock's trips across the state that seem to magically coincide with fund-raising events aren't just accidental. And, it makes sense from a time and resource perspective to pair those events. However, it raises the question: Should the taxpayers of Montana be on the hook to foot Bullock's expense as he tries to raise more money? Why should he get a free ride when his opponents don't get the same opportunity? And, just saying that Bullock is doing what others before him have done is a lousy excuse that we shouldn't tolerate. Because someone else did the wrong thing shouldn't excuse it forever into the future.” -Billings Gazette, 3/15/2016

In an admission of guilt, Bullock would repay the state a paltry $2,671.84 for use of the state plan for campaign related activities. This is a highly questionable number given Bullock’s multiple campaign events and the $1,650 an hour it takes to operate the state plane.