Happy Friday, faithful readers! Here are the topics that caught my eye for today’s column: 

• Flint Attacks Forstag
• Montana Plan (I-194)
• Interest Rate Hike
• One More Thing

FLINT ATTACKS FORSTAG:

The race for Montana’s 1st Congressional District seat is heating up. 

ABC/FOX NonStop Local is reporting that MAGA Republican Aaron Flint’s campaign released a slew of documents claiming that Forstag was compensated by multiple organizations, including the ACLU, the City of Bozeman, and the Provello Center, alleging that Forstag made hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying. 

The Flint campaign alleges that in 2021-2022 he made $65,000 and in 2023-2024 he made $183,986.40. 

Forstag’s campaign denies the allegations, saying:

“Like all corrupt politicians, if Aaron Flint is talking, he’s lying,” a spokesperson for Forstag said, “He is intentionally misrepresenting fees that were paid to the company Sam worked for over multiple years as if it were his personal income. Clearly Aaron Flint can’t relate to someone who even when working 9 months of the year as a wildland firefighter took on a second job to make ends meet.” 

At the end of the article, ABC/FOX NonStop Local reported: 

NonStop Local has gone through several of public records that list fees and represent compensation to multiple individuals, he was listed but not listed as the recipient of the total amount.  

The bottom line to me is when you look past the campaign headlines and examine the actual public records, the truth is clear: the allegations leveled by the Flint campaign are fundamentally untrue.

This wasn’t a case of differing interpretations; I think it was probably a deliberate misrepresentation of financial facts. By taking the total institutional fees paid to an entire firm and framing them as a single person’s salary, the Flint campaign attempted to manufacture a scandal out of standard professional services.

The independent investigation by NonStop Local effectively closed the case by proving these funds were distributed among multiple individuals. In the heat of the political season, voters deserve accuracy—and the paper trail shows that the high-dollar figures weaponized against Sam Forstag were nothing more than a misleading political narrative.

MONTANA PLAN (I-194):

In case you missed it, Reuters is reporting on the Montana Plan, I-194, in an article titled:

“Deep in Trump country, a revolt against corporate money could reshape political spending”

It’s a great read with some awesome reporting. I will be supporting I-194 because it will curb election spending by “artificial persons,” eliminate anonymous money, and put Montanans’ voices back at the center of our democracy. I hope you will join me. 

Check out the Reuters article HERE.  Visit the Montana Plan website HERE. 

INTEREST RATE HIKE: 

As if high gas and food prices, along with a never-ending war, are not enough, the Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates.

Now we also get higher credit card rates, higher rates on loans, and if you are shopping for a home, higher rates decrease your purchasing power. 

It’s important to remember that Trump has appointed or elevated five of the current board members, including Fed Chair Kevin Warsh.

More information about the rate hike can be found HERE.   

ONE MORE THING:

My daughter didn’t cope well with going to jail.

She refused to eat or drink anything. She swore at everyone and started fighting us.

After that, we never played Monopoly again. (Source)

## HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ##