Jason Ellsworth trial centers on opening arguments, calling on witnesses

Prosecutors argued Ellsworth used his public role to steer taxpayer money to someone with close ties to him.

"Jason Ellsworth used his authority as president of the Montana senate to enter into an illegal contract for $171,000 in taxpayer money to his longtime employee and business associate Bryce Eggleston," said Dan Guzynski, Montana Department of Justice Office Prosecutions Bureau chief.

Ellsworth’s attorney pushed back and said the deal was straightforward.

"This was an agreement for services. This isn’t some type of kickback, some sort of government back in contract or something shady going on. It’s a very simple contract for services. As the state touched on, the amount of services that Agile Analytics agreed to perform for these services," said Martin Judnich, the lawyer representing Jason Ellsworth.

The case centered on a contract Ellsworth awarded in his official capacity.

The prosecution said Ellsworth failed to disclose a possible conflict of interest as required by state ethics rules and did not have the contract reviewed by the proper authorities before it was approved and awarded.

Ellsworth denied the charges.

The first witness was Montana Clerk of the Supreme Court Bowen Greenwood, who answered questions about his connections to Ellsworth and to Bryce Eggleston, the person who received the contract.

Greenwood said Ellsworth recommended Eggleston for a state communications director role, but Greenwood said Eggleston did not have an educational background in communications.

Greenwood described one concern during his testimony.

"How are we going to handle this? How’s this writing going to work? Mr. Eggleston said I would write most of that myself," said Bowen Greenwood, Montana clerk of the Supreme Court.

Several more witnesses are expected to testify as the trial continues.