Montana
Viewpoint: Montana doesn’t need partisan manipulation of court
David Paoli
Attorney General Austin Knudsen was called to account for multiple, egregious violations of the rules that govern all Montana lawyers. Unimaginable as it seems, Montana’s Attorney General brazenly disobeyed a direct, final order of the Montana Supreme Court. And he did so knowingly. Knudsen continued to defy that order for nearly one full year, while publicly calling judges liars who engage in misconduct.
In essence, Knudsen’s position is that he alone, among all Montana lawyers, is special; that his pledge to adhere to the Rules of Professional Conduct was somehow less binding than all the other lawyers in the State who swore the same pledge. He has denied none of what he is accused of and if any other lawyer had engaged in similar despicable conduct they would have been summarily disbarred.
Recently, Montana Republican Party Chairman Don K. KaltSchmidt, seeking to politicize the matter, publicly decried the procedures and thoughtful decision of Montana’s Commission on Practice (the body responsible for disciplining lawyers) as a “show trial”, “weaponization”, and “partisan manipulation” of the system. He also attacked the person who filed the complaint against Knudsen, Clara Ellen Roberts, ignoring the inconvenient truth that Ms. Roberts grew up in Billings, attended college in Missoula and is a licensed Montana lawyer.
Truth is, the only partisan manipulation to be seen is that which the hopelessly biased Republican party chair, Don K., relentlessly forces upon Montana citizens and Montana’s judiciary. He just can’t seem to grasp the fact that politics has no place in either the courtroom, or in attorney disciplinary proceedings, both of which are – and must always remain – arenas in which facts and applicable laws are the only thing that matters.
One thing distinguishes the United States of America from any two-bit authoritarian regime or banana republic. It is respect for the rule of law. Without that, we are left with the law of the jungle, where none of us can stand on equal footing with the rich and powerful. And there is no place in America where anyone, and especially an attorney, is entitled to a “Get Out of Jail Free” card after disobeying a direct, final court order. Knudsen does not get to disobey these rules by claiming “separation of powers.” No, Don K, Knudsen’s brand of intentional misconduct is not a part of his “constitutional duties”, far from it.
Don K’s shameful, revisionist view pins a “badge of honor” on an attorney who has trashed his most basic professional obligations, defied the rule of law and run roughshod over the rules of common civility – you know, that stuff we were all supposed to learn in kindergarten.
No Don K., Austin Knudsen has not been singled out for unfair treatment. His case is being handled just the same as that of any attorney who breaks the rules. This is not a show trial or a weaponization of the system. What you’re seeing is due process and accountability for a wrongdoer.
Montanans do not want, let alone need, politics in the courtroom. Montanans want and need the courtroom to be a sanctuary in which facts, law, and justice are all that matters.
Don K, if you truly want to enhance the “integrity of the legal system and the fundamental principles of democracy,” encourage Knudsen to stop breaking the rules. And, you can help by ending the constant spread of conspiracy theories.
It’s not Ok, Don K, to defend rule breakers by labeling or impugning others who have the audacity to enforce the rules. Integrity demands we support and encourage our fellow citizens who bring rule breakers to answer for their conduct.
David Paoli is an attorney in Missoula.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 30, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 30 drawing
01-27-35-44-52, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 30 drawing
05-08-09-11-15, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 30 drawing
15-18-22-27, Bonus: 14
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 30 drawing
04-27-65-66-69, Powerball: 04
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from May 30 drawing
17-19-23-32-38
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 30 drawing
05-14-22-28-30, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
A group of legal and civil rights organizations late Friday sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over conditions at Camp East Montana in El Paso, the country’s largest immigration detention facility.
“Camp East Montana is nothing short of a civil rights catastrophe,” Kyle Virgien, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, said in a statement. “We’re suing to ensure that no other human being has to endure the inhumane treatment that the Trump administration has inflicted on our clients.”
The Texas Tribune has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Filed by the ACLU of Texas, the ACLU, the Texas Civil Rights Project and law firm Farella Braun + Martel, the federal lawsuit comes less than a year after the opening of the sprawling tent camp.
In that time, the facility has seen at least three detainee deaths, a measles outbreak and nearly 50 detention standards violations as reported by ICE’s own inspectors, prompting calls for the camp’s closure from immigrant advocates and Democratic lawmakers.
The civil rights groups behind the lawsuit also alleged in a December letter that detained immigrants were subject to medical neglect, physical and sexual abuse by officers, insufficient food and denial of meaningful access to attorneys. In March, ICE switched out the facility’s prime operator for a more experienced contractor, saying the agency would “work closely with them” to improve services, including higher standards of medical care. Still, in a subsequent letter to ICE dated May 22, the groups said the situation “continued to deteriorate” and outlined additional complaints such as hazardous dust exposure.
Friday’s lawsuit argues that conditions at the facility are “unconstitutional punishment” and violate detainees’ due process rights under the Fifth Amendment.
“These conditions are longstanding, pervasive, and well documented, and Defendants’ continued inaction in the face of known risks shows their deliberate indifference — not mere negligence — to detainees’ constitutional rights,” the lawsuit said.
The petition, filed on behalf of four detainees, is also seeking approval to proceed as a class action to cover all those who are currently or will be detained in Camp East Montana.
One of the plaintiffs is Gerald Akari Angye, a detained immigrant who called the conditions at the camp “inhumane and cruel.”
Prior to this lawsuit, the 35-year-old man had filed a petition in January seeking release from ICE detention. According to the filing, Angye was a high school teacher in Cameroon but fled after being kidnapped and tortured amid a separatist conflict. He sought asylum after crossing through a New Mexico port of entry in December 2024. An immigration judge later denied his application, and Angye appealed.
In a statement provided by the civil rights groups, Angye said he had been beaten at Camp East Montana and never thought he would face “such severely violent treatments” in the United States. He was also placed in solitary confinement for 15 days, according to the lawsuit.
“No one deserves such cruel treatment,” he said. “We are all humans and deserve to be treated like it.”
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar said in a statement to the Tribune that she is grateful for the legal fight. A leading critic of Camp East Montana, the El Paso Democrat called the facility “a purgatory for human beings held there.” She also vowed to continue her oversight visits and demand for the tent camp’s permanent closure.
Camp East Montana, first opened in August 2025, is located on Fort Bliss U.S. Army base.
Expected to ultimately reach a 5,000-bed capacity, the camp had a daily average of more than 2,500 detainees as of April 2, according to the most recent public data from ICE. The facility has also held the largest number of detained immigrants thus far in fiscal year 2026, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University found.
“Camp East Montana is at the epicenter of the administration’s cruel deportation agenda,” Savannah Kumar, staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement.
Disclosure: ACLU Texas has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
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