Supreme Court Dismisses Disciplinary Case Against Attorney General Knudsen

The Montana Supreme Court has rejected a recommendation that Attorney General Austin Knudsen be temporarily suspended from office, ruling that the misconduct proceedings against him violated his due process rights.

In a 149-page decision issued Wednesday, the court concluded a five-year legal dispute rooted in a broader separation-of-powers conflict between Montana’s legislative and judicial branches. Chief Justice Cory Swanson authored the majority opinion, which was joined by five other justices. Justice Katherine Bidegaray issued a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part.

The court determined that the Office of Disciplinary Counsel failed to prove several allegations, including claims that Knudsen’s public criticisms of the judiciary rose to the level of professional misconduct.

The case originated in 2023, when the Office of Disciplinary Counsel filed a complaint with the Commission on Practice alleging 41 counts of professional misconduct against Knudsen. In 2024, the Commission on Practice recommended that the Supreme Court suspend Knudsen’s law license for 90 days. The Supreme Court ultimately rejected that recommendation and dismissed the complaint.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Knudsen praised the ruling and criticized the case against him.

“I appreciate the Supreme Court bringing this frivolous complaint to a long-overdue conclusion,” Knudsen said. “We’ve said it from the very beginning — this was nothing more than a political stunt. I’m glad this distraction is behind us as we continue our work at the Department of Justice to keep Montana the best place to live and raise a family.”

Supporters of the attorney general echoed that sentiment following the decision.

U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy called the ruling “the right decision” and described the complaint as politically motivated. “I look forward to continuing to work alongside Attorney General Knudsen and the rest of the Montana delegation to secure a safer and more prosperous future for all Montanans,” Sheehy said in a statement.

State Sen. Greg Hertz said it was “reassuring to see the Supreme Court deliver justice in this politically motivated case,” while Sen. Wylie Galt said he was grateful the court had “ended this politically motivated prosecution.” Sen. Barry Usher likewise welcomed the decision, saying he appreciated the court bringing the matter “to its rightful conclusion.”

In a longer statement issued by State Auditor James Brown, the ruling was framed as a rebuke of what he described as an improper use of the attorney discipline system. “Today’s decision by the Montana Supreme Court confirms what many Montanans recognized from the beginning: this process was not about enforcing the law but about advancing a politically motivated show trial against a duly elected Attorney General,” Brown said. He added that the decision reaffirmed the constitutional principle of separation of powers and warned against “weaponizing” legal processes for political purposes.

The Supreme Court’s decision brings to an end a case that has followed Knudsen since early in his tenure and has drawn statewide attention to the boundaries between judicial authority and the actions of elected officials.

By: Politics406 staff