Victoria Eavis and Seaborn Larson, Helena Independent Record
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A Republican senator from Hamilton recently signed a six-figure contract with a longtime business associate without legislative leadership’s knowledge, skipping the public bidding process, the Montana State News Bureau has learned.
Using leftover funds from a legislative committee he formed last year, Sen. Jason Ellsworth signed a $170,100 contract on Dec. 31 for a company called Agile Analytics to research certain legislation following the 2025 Legislature, and did so after the idea had been dismissed by his fellow committee members.
Agile Analytics is owned by Bryce Eggleston, a former employee of Ellsworth’s whom the senator described as a longtime collaborator on background legislative work.
Approached for this story on Thursday, Republican Senate President Matt Regier said he had recently become aware of the matter and was “researching” further into the details of the arrangement. He declined to elaborate further on the scope of the probe.
Eggleston owns multiple businesses registered with the state, including Agile XO. Agile Analytics, however, was registered with the Montana Secretary of State’s Office less than three weeks before he signed the contract with Ellsworth.
Per that agreement, Eggleston is to provide an analysis of the post-enactment implementation of a package of judicial reform bills, which are among the Republican-led Legislature’s highest priorities this session.
Read the remainder on the Helena IR, HERE.
To read and/or download the contract see below.
