The preliminary results of the complaint filed by the Montana GOP against Governor Brian Schweitzer are in. The Hearing Officer has found that Governor Brian Schweitzer violated Montana law by producing illegal taxpayer-funded Public Service Announcements (PSA) after he became a candidate for re-election.

The Hearing Officer recommends a fine of $750, which I find totally ridiculous. He should be fined at least $750 for each time the PSA aired. Schweitzer received much more than $750 in publicity for his re-election each time the PSA aired.

We’ll see if the Commissioner of Political Practices upholds the Hearing Officer’s recommendations or gives the Governor a pass. By the way, the Commissioner was appointed by Governor Schweitzer in 2006.

The Missoulian Editorial expressed these comments about Montana’s Political Practices office in 2007:

The job is worthless, as its long track record compiled by a long line of commissioners has proved. Well intended as an effort to keep elections fair and honest, the Office of Political Practices has never taken any truly significant enforcement action and almost never has taken any timely action. Nothing involving Montana elections would suggest this office has had the least success in promoting clean elections, counteracting the corrosive effect of big money in politics, keeping lobbyists honest and government free of lobbyists’ undue influence or in any way promoting democratic ideals.

The current commissioner may finally be able to overcome the long track record of that office never taking “any truly significant enforcement action” by making the Governor an example in this case. Of course, actions like that would come at a cost and Helena would surely be a very frosty place for the current commissioner.

Ironically, the Governor’s first campaign ad (not counting the PSA) had these words of wisdom:

“You’re only as good as your word. You balance your budget. Expect results. Share the credit when you’re right. And take responsibility when you’re wrong. And at the end of the day, you have to be able to look your family in the eye. You also have to clean up a few messes, too.”

This is the biggest “mess” the Governor has seen, and he needs to publicly accept responsibility for breaking the law without dancing around that fact. A strong reprimand should be given to the two state employees who took part in the illegal behavior with him and for him.

But this may be far from over. There may be even some evidence of tampering with the case by the Governor’s staff. If that’s proven to be true, the person from the Governor’s staff doing the tampering should be terminated from their job.

That way, the Governor would be keeping his promise to “clean up a few messes…”