#MTGov Daily Rundown: Gazette Editorial Board Rips Bullock Over State Plane Abuse

"Bullock's use of state resources lacks discretion and is ham-handed." -Billings Gazette, 9/1/2016

Yesterday, the Billings Gazette editorial board hammered Governor Steve Bullock for his abuse of the state aircraft. The governor has been caught multiple times flying to campaign events and other events of questionable value to the state, such as 2014 Paul McCartney concert in Missoula.

"Residents are right to question whether they're underwriting the campaigning costs of the governor. Many of the trips Bullock went on seemed contrived or PR stunts more than state legitimate business, which made the entire situation feel like he was gaming the system." -Billings Gazette, 9/1/2016

"But more recent reporting shows another raft of questionable trips, including one in which he tried convincing Montanans that seeing Sir Paul McCartney was the state's business and that McCartney had requested a special audience with Bullock.

Being caught again using the state plane either demonstrates arrogance or a tone-deafness about the issue. What's even more is that Bullock recently used the state plane to hop over to Deer Lodge, less than a 60-mile trip from Helena. We'd venture to guess it took longer to get the plane ready than it did to make the quick journey. We understand that the governor's time as the state's chief executive is valuable, but is it so precious that such a small time savings and large expense of a plane makes it pencil out? " -Billings Gazette, 9/1/2016

The Gazette also noted that Bullock's reimbursement of the state was a paltry amount given the true operating cost of the plane.

"Yet, when follow-up reporting was done, the reimbursement for these trips was anemic and represented a token of the expense of using the expensive state plane." -Billings Gazette, 9/1/2016

Governor Bullock has continued 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 earlier this year 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

 This is the 2nd time the Gazette editorial board has taken 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 plane 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.

Last week, Greg Gianforte called on Governor Steve Bullock to sell the state plane due to the governor's use of the plane for campaigning and to fly to a Paul McCartney concert in Missoula. Ironically, at the very same time Greg Gianforte was defending the interests of Montana taxpayers, Governor Bullock was abusing the state plane.

"Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte on Wednesday called on Gov. Steve Bullock to sell his state airplane, rekindling a long-simmering debate on the Democrat’s airplane use and saying he would use the proceeds from the sale for school computers and infrastructure if elected Nov. 8.

'Governor, you abused it now you lose it,' Gianforte said during a news conference in front of the state Capitol in which he produced a blowup of a classified ad selling the plane." -Great Falls Tribune, 8/24/2016

Reporters reached out to the Governor's Office and were told he was "unavailable" because he was flying to Deer Lodge, a distance of less than 60 miles.

"Bullock flew on Wednesday to Deer Lodge, about 50 miles from Helena, and was not immediately available for comment. Abel said he was discussing resource conservation in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin and visiting the Montana State Prison." -Associated Press, 8/24/2016