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Montana's Republican grassroots machine is changing the leadership in a number of Republican County Central Committees across the state, and the "old guard" is not happy. Missoula and Ravalli Counties both had their existing leadership voted out, and those same people have created "Ghost Committees" acting as if they are legitimate Republican Central Committees - creating or attending events, raising funds, and endorsing candidates. Similarly, a new "Tri-County Republican Women's Club" formed out of people in Lewis and Clark, Broadwater, and Jefferson Counties - many of whom were removed by effective grassroots leaders who wanted positive change. Though the Tri-County club is officially recognized under the Montana Federation of Republican Women, they are not considered in alignment with the party's stated platform goals.
A similar trend has occurred with the Young Republicans of Montana. In 2023, after the previously federated state chapter was rebuilding following a decline of the statewide membership, members of the former leadership and their associates improperly ousted state chair and candidate for HD 79, Dennison Rivera. Prior to his ousting, Rivera was driving the rebuilding effort in conjunction with the longest standing local chapter of Young Republicans in MT, the Lewis and Clark County Young Republicans. After the former leadership team improperly ousted Rivera it failed to maintain the state chapter in 2022, allowing it to lose its federation charter. Several of those same former leaders, along with their new chair Elijah Tidswell, who was handpicked by the party, were handed the new federation charter in 2023 and started the Montana Young Republican Federation without a single local chapter. Staff for Rep. Ryan Zinke and other employees of the state GOP have been reportedly using their resources and influence to start local chapters of this new federation around the state while working to undermine the efforts of the longstanding Lewis and Clark Young Republicans and their state chapter, the Young Republicans of Montana, including attempting to start a counter chapter in Lewis and Clark County.
This is not a strategy confined to the boundaries of Montana either, as sources have informed the Sentinel that this is happening around the country.
Trump Jr's visit to Missoula was allegedly organized by the former Chairwoman of the Missoula County Republican Central Committee, Vondene Kopetski, and two other former members of the committee that had been removed or never voted in, such as Cameo Flood. Though there are numerous allegations of misallocation of committee funds and lack of leadership under Kopetski, she has since moved on to create such a "Ghost Committee," per sources close to the Sentinel staff. Now, she spearheads events like the April 28th visit of Trump Jr. Joining him is Alex Bruesewitz, who was recently removed as the keynote speaker at the Montana GOP Winter Kickoff in Helena due to a grassroots revolt after he was caught disparaging Montana's most constitutional Congressional Delegation member, Congressman Matt Rosendale.
The event is held by the "MAC-PAC" or Montana Association of Conservatives - Political Action Committee. Flood stated they "started this PAC just recently in February” and that “Political Action Committees have a little bit more flexibility in the kind of money they accept and how they spend it. I know that some people have a bad attitude about PACs, but they are very active on both sides of the political spectrum, and so we're just trying to do our little part so that we can help conservative candidates in Montana. That's our main point.” The Federal Elections Commission database showed a PAC filing date of March 4, 2024 with the FEC Form 1 generated today, March 27, 2024.
Many of the conservatives our staff talked to from around Montana had never heard of this PAC until this week, and when asked their opinion about this event, most wondered why Trump Jr. would attend an event sponsored by people who do not want Trump elected President.
Don, Jr. seems to be supporting many RINOS. I have gotten requests for money from him for the NRSC etc.