Part 2: Greg Gianforte lobbied for a statewide sales tax

This week as the U.S. Senate is expected to confirm Congressman Ryan Zinke as the new U.S. Secretary of the Interior, the Montana Democratic Party will highlight why failed candidate for governor, New Jersey multi-millionaire Greg Gianforte, does not represent Montana values. Each day this week the Montana Democratic Party will show why Montanans rejected Gianforte in 2016 and why they will reject him again as a U.S. House candidate.

A few years after moving to Montana, Greg Gianforte went up to the Helena Capitol and lobbied for a statewide sales tax at former Governor Judy Martz’s Income Tax Advisory Council, calling it an “ideal solution for Montana.”

“What I consider an ideal solution, from a high-tech perspective… would be to replace the current income capital gains rate with a sales tax,” Gianforte told the Council. “And I know that there are a few political issues and Constitutional issues, but I didn’t think I’d be fair in coming here and not say that I believe that is the ideal solution– to move to a consumptive tax.” 

In that same meeting, Gianforte later went on to say that his move to Montana from New Jersey was an “oversight” and that “had we done our due diligence, Montana would not have been our state.” 

Montana voters will not soon forget New Jersey Gianforte pushing for an unpopular statewide sales tax in Montana.