Former Montana Leaders Work to Curb Corporate Influence in Politics

HELENA, Montana — Former state leaders gathered Wednesday morning to discuss a new initiative aimed at reducing corporate influence in local politics. The meeting featured former Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan, who introduced the Montana Plan, designed to foster transparency in elections by addressing issues related to corporate spending and dark money.

The Montana Plan seeks to amend the state constitution to prevent anonymous contributions and corporate donations during local elections. This proposal arises from concerns over the impacts of the Citizens United ruling, which has allowed unlimited political spending by corporations.

Attendees included former Governor Marc Racicot and former U.S. Senator Jon Tester, both expressing their endorsement of the initiative. Tester emphasized the need for reform, stating, “All this corporate money has done is create more division. It pulls people further to the left and further to the right, and that’s not good for democracy.”

Racicot added that implementing the plan is a significant step forward, saying, “It’ll go a long way toward cleaning up the system. There’s still areas where we might need some improvement and some change over time, but this is a very, very prominent and very important first step forward.”

Mangan acknowledged the financial aspect of the initiative, saying that while he is unsure of the total funds required, he is committed to transparency in the fundraising process. “We’re going to make all that public, fully transparent,” he noted.

The Montana Plan will appear on the ballot for voters in the 2026 election, aiming to reflect the collective will of constituents who desire a more accountable political system.