Montana AG Uses Trip to Border to Campaign

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana Attorney General Tim Fox is using his recent trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to promote his campaign for governor, but state Department of Justice officials maintain the visit was for official business and won’t seek reimbursement for the costs from the campaign.

The agency paid $2,776 for Fox and Highway Patrol Col. Tom Butler’s flight, lodging and per-diem costs to El Paso, Texas, last week, Justice Department spokesman John Barnes said.

Fox told reporters in a conference call from El Paso last wee k that he wanted see firsthand, as the state’s top law-enforcement officer, whether there is indeed a border crisis that is contributing methamphetamine trafficking in Montana. When he returned, campaign officials posted on “Fox for Governor” social media websites a photo of Fox with U.S. Border Patrol agents at the borderand a video of him talking about what he saw .