Who is the Missoula Donor Tied to Controversial BLM Nominee?
Now that's a fancy house. For those of you who watch the TV show "Yellowstone," it reminds me of the place that the bad guy from California developed in the Paradise Valley.
For those of you who heard the news about President Biden's controversial nominee to head up the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), she is in hot water over some serious ethics questions following her hearing in the US Senate on Tuesday.
Tracy Stone-Manning is a longtime leader in several dark money environmental groups and a longtime Democrat party operative, including leading roles with Democrat Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and former Gov. Steve Bullock (D-MT). While serving as State Director for Senator Tester, she received a very sizeable "personal loan" from a "friend" at roughly half the market rate.
That "friend" also happens to be a wealthy Democrat party donor. The Washington Times reported that Stone-Manning was serving in senior levels as Chief of Staff to Governor Bullock and as Director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality while still paying off the loan to Goldberg.
So who is this Democrat donor named Stuart Goldberg? According to my sources, Goldberg is a donor to Senator Tester's 2006 campaign. He also happens to own one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, homes in Missoula, Montana (see more photos below). Goldberg was also involved in a major conservation easement project in Montana, and won a permit to float the highly coveted Smith River.
Did Goldberg or his estate benefit from his "friendship" with Tracy Stone-Manning? Did she disclose this "personal loan" (i.e gift) at the time she was working for the senator? Even if Tracy Stone-Manning wasn't a partisan and radical environmentalist, even if she was the best nominee you could find to head up the BLM--these ethics questions could certainly tank her nomination.
Through a spokeswoman, Montana Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) had this response to the ethics questions raised during Stone-Manning's hearing:
Senator Daines asked Ms. Stone-Manning questions about her record and her views on policies that will impact the Montana way of life, like reauthorization of the Keystone XL pipeline. The Senator has concerns with something raised by another senator at the hearing on an ethics issue about Ms. Stone-Manning receiving a heavily discounted personal loan while serving as a congressional staffer. He believes before we can move forward with consideration of Ms. Stone-Manning’s nomination, we need clarity on terms and circumstances.
See Goregous Photos of Montana's 'Glass Home'
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