Judge rules in favor of news outlets in right-to-know lawsuit

A district court judge has determined that candidates for judicial positions do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy when being interviewed by representatives of the governor’s office, the result of a lawsuit filed by the Choteau Acantha newspaper and Montana Free Press.

The Acantha and MTFP lawsuit contended that an advisory council that Gov. Greg Gianforte appointed to help him winnow the field of candidates for a judicial vacancy in north-central Montana unconstitutionally conducted interviews and deliberations in executive session, violating the state’s right-to-know laws.

“The jud...