It’s beginning to look like we’ll have a debate between Gov. Greg Gianforte and Democratic challenger Ryan Busse of Kalispell. The statewide televised debate is expected to happen Monday night, October 7th, sponsored by Montana PBS, Montana Public Radio, Yellowstone Public Radio and Lee Newspapers.
Busse was first to accept the debate invitation, but the Governor declined, calling Busse “unhinged” and “not a credible candidate”. The Governor, according to his campaign manager Jake Eaton, has released 17-years of tax returns. The fact that Busse hasn’t was reason enough, he says, for the Governor to refused the debate.
Now, with Busse releasing 10-years of tax returns, Eaton says “the Governor welcomes Busse to the ‘transparency train’.
Busse’s returns show the majority of his income coming from his role as VP of Kimber Firearms Manufacturing, with some income from his family business, Aspen Communications, owned by he and his wife, Sarah Busse. He says he was reluctant to release the returns for privacy reasons.
