FACTCHECK:GIANFORTE’S“HUSHMONEY”ADUSESMADE-UPQUOTES
GregGianforte’snewad“HushMoney”hascrossedthelineinmisleadingMontanans.Theaduses
non-existentquotesfalselyattributedtotheBozemanDailyChronicleandisfactuallybaseless.There
isabsolutelynoback-upfortheclaimsmadeinthisad,andweexpectMontanajournaliststofact
checkthisadandcallitwhatitis:fiction.SeeTVadhere.
Gianforte AD “Hush
Money”
VO: Over$900,000-that’swhatSteve
Bullock’sadministrationhaspaidin
hushmoneytostateemployees
OnScreen: BozemanDailyChronicle
Over$900,000
OnScreen:BozemanDailyChronicle
SteveBullock’sadministrationpaid
hushmoneytostateemployees
FACTS
QUOTEDOESNOTEXISTINDAILYCHRONICLE
●
Thequote“SteveBullock’sadministrationpaid
hushmoneytostateemployees”doesnotexist
intheBozemanDailyChroniclearticle.
NO“HUSHMONEY”HASEVERBEENPAID
● EmployeessubjecttoaReductioninForce
(RIF)areentitledtopayoutsgovernedbyMCA
2-18-617(2),2-18-618(6),and2-18-622.In
otherwords,budgetcutsthatresultin
mandatory(andrare)layoffsmayresultin
financialpayoutstoimpactedemployees.
Thesepayoutsareconfidentialpersonnel
recordspursuanttostatepolicy.
●
Thesetypesofemployee“payouts”are
commonincurrentadministrations(suchas
theOfficeofAttorneyGeneralTimFox),as
wellaspreviousadministrations,includingthe
administrationsofGovernorsBrianSchweitzer
andJudyMartz
VO:42peoplegotpaidtokeepquiet
OnScreen:42employeesgotpaidto
QUOTEDOESNOTEXISTINDAILYCHRONICLE
●
Thequote“42employeesgotpaidtokeep
quiet”doesnotexistintheBozemanDaily
keepquiet.BozemanDailyChronicle
Chroniclearticle.
●
ActualquotefromtheBozemanDaily
Chronicle:“Thestatehaspaid42employees
settlementstotalingmorethan$745,000.”
Noneofthesesettlementsweretokeep
people“quiet,”andtheChronicledidnot
reportitassuch.
NOEMPLOYEESWEREEVERPAID“TOKEEPQUIET”
● ThestatefollowsMCA2-18-617(2),2-18-618
(6),and2-18-622,innegotiatingfinancial
settlementswithemployeeswhoare
terminatedorlaidoff.Allofthesesettlements
areconfidentialpursuanttoemployeeprivacy
laws.
●
Thereisabsolutelynoback-upfortheclaim
“42employeesgotpaidtokeepquiet.”
VO: Theshamefulthingisthatthese
payoutsweretocoverupmisdeeds.
OnScreen:BozemanDailyChronicle
Payoutsto“coverupmisdeeds”
QUOTEISNOTMADEBYBOZEMANCHRONICLE
● Thequote“coverupmisdeeds”isamisleading
accusationthatappearstocomefrom
reportingbytheBozemanDailyChronicle.
Thisisanallegedclaimmadebyoneformer
stateemployee,whoinsistedonremaining
anonymous.ThefullquotefromtheBozeman
DailyChroniclearticleis”Oneformer
employeewhoreceivedalargesettlement
paymentsaid,insomecases,stateagencies
usetheconfidentialpaymentstocoverup
misdeeds.”
●
Thereisabsolutelynoback-upforthe
statement“thesepayoutsweretocoverup
misdeeds.”Thisformeremployee’sclaimhas
neverbeenbackedbyanyevidenceor
independentsources,andallowingthistogo
uncheckedisadangerousandsloppynew
standardinpoliticaljournalism,andwewill
expectfullaccountabilityfromallwho
considerthemselvesjournalists.
●
VO: Tryingtosilenceapotential
whistleblower.
OnScreen:BozemanDailyChronicle
Silenceapotentialwhistleblower
Thesetypesofemployee“payouts”in
accordancewithstatelaw(MCA2-18-617(2),
2-18-618(6),and2-18-622)arecommonin
currentadministrations(suchastheOfficeof
AttorneyGeneralTimFox),aswellasprevious
administrations,includingtheadministrations
ofGovernorsBrianSchweitzerandJudyMartz.
QUOTEDOESNOTEXISTINDAILYCHRONICLE
●
Thequote“Silenceapotentialwhistleblower”
doesnotexistintheBozemanDailyChronicle.
BULLOCKSTRENGTHENEDWHISTLEBLOWERLAWS
●
Ifanyemployeeseesanyinappropriate
activity,theyareencouragedtoblowthe
whistletoensureaworkenvironmentthat
respectsallemployeesandtaxpayers.As
AttorneyGeneral,SteveBullockrequested
legislationtostrengthenMontana'sFalse
ClaimsAct.TheActprovidesprotectionfor
whistleblowersreportinggovernment
misconduct.HB122wascarriedbyMike
Menahan,formerLewisandClarkCounty
AttorneyandsittingJudgeinthe1stJudicial
District.
NO“WHISTLEBLOWER”COMPLAINTSFILED
●
Therehavebeenno“whistleblower”
complaintsfiledduringGovernorBullock’s
term.
VO: Andpayingout$50,000tosweep
allegeddiscriminationundertherug.
OnScreen:BozemanDailyChronicle
$50,000tosweepalleged
discriminationundertherug
QUOTEDOESNOTEXISTINDAILYCHRONICLE
●
Thequote“50,000tosweepalleged
discriminationundertherug”doesnotexistin
theBozemanDailyChronicle.
○ Actualquote:“Lessthan24hourslater
(theagency)calledandoffereda
settlement,”theformerstate
employeesaid.Thesettlement
amount,morethan$50,000,was
contingentinpartuponacontractto
neverdisclosethesettlement.”
●
Thereisabsolutelynoback-upforthe
statement“50,000tosweepalleged
discriminationundertherug.”
●
TheMTHumanRightsBureauneverfoundany
“alleged”discriminationagainsttheemployee
thatmadethisclaimtotheBozemanDaily
Chroniclearticle.
VO: EvenlawyersfromSteve
Bullock’sownpartysayhelikely
violatedthelaw
OnScreen:BozemanDailyChronicle
EvenlawyersfromSteveBullock’sown
partyarecryingfoul!
QUOTEDOESNOTEXISTINDAILYCHRONICLE
VO:That’scorruption.That’sSteve
Bullock.
OnScreen:That’sCorruption[Pictureof
Bullockinanewspaperframe]That’s
SteveBullock
●
Thequote“EvenlawyersfromSteveBullock’s
ownpartyarecryingfoul”doesnotexistinthe
BozemanDailyChronicle.