Governor Steve Bullock and Republican Challenger Greg Gianforte wave to the packed crowd at the end of Monday night’s 2nd debate at Petro Hall on Montana State University-Billing’s Campus. (Photo Jonathan McNiven)
Guest Editorial by Evelyn Pyburn-Originally published in the Yellowstone County News print edition
If you have missed it, there’s more “to-do” about Gov. Steve Bullock’s misuse of the state plane than what hits the accounting books. His most regular travel companion is what is raising eyebrows, and who that is dovetails with rumors that have been flying around Helena since before Lt. Gov. Angela McLean resigned.
If travel with the governor to all corners of the country and beyond are any measure, then commerce in Montana should be in very fine shape, because Montana Department of Commerce Director Meg O’Leary has traveled more with the governor than any other member of his department.
O’Leary traveled with Bullock on the state plane 56 times – two and a half times more often than the next frequent flyer, Jason Smith, who flew 20 times with the governor. (All but a paltry $1,500 was at taxpayer expense, of course.)
The Paul McCartney concert in Missoula is one of those joint trips made by the governor and O’Leary, which must have raised as many eyebrows then as it has since. The blatancy of it singles it out as most interesting. While issues of prudent use of taxpayers’ dollars abound about flying to such a nearby destination, and about whether the trip was for business (which the governor says it was, even though the time frame would hardly have allowed for a business meeting), but the thing is, O’Leary was not invited. Montana’s first lady Lisa Bullock was, according to research conducted by Matthew Monforton, an attorney, former judge and legislator.
Since the governor was allowed a guest (with the expectation of it being Mrs. Bullock), O’Leary was welcomed, but she is the only member of the governor’s cabinet who attended. Others, like O’Leary, received no invitation to an event that had no business items on its agenda.
But, who knows, maybe Lisa Bullock is no fan of Paul McCartney.
This was not the only time that O’Leary was the governor’s travel read more
