Helena, Mont. – As folks in Big Sky Country recognize World No Tobacco Day, the Montana Democratic Party is providing voters with a fact-check on tea party gubernatorial candidate – and former member of congress – Rick Hill's relationship with Big Tobacco, and his lying to voters about taking campaign contributions from the industry.

Facts About Rick Hill’s Relationship with Big Tobacco Include:

Eight years ago this week, Congressman Dennis Rehberg spent several days on the taxpayer's dime visiting Kazakhstan.  Congressman Rehberg spent weeks defending the trip, following reports of an alcohol-related horse incident that broke Rehberg's rib.

But eight years later, questions remain about who was on the taxpayer-funded trip, and what it was supposed to accomplish, besides an infamous horseback ride in the mountains.

Here's what we do know:

Helena, Mont. – Rick Hill, a Tea Party gubernatorial candidate and former member of congress, is on-the-air attacking a Primary opponent. And, the Montana Democratic Party is calling out Congressman Hill for being disingenuous about his record on tax increases in his televised attack ad.

“Congressman Rick Hill has a history of supporting massive tax increases in Big Sky Country,” said Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Ted Dick. “Hill led the charge as a lobbyist for a $400 million sales tax measure, a $72 million income tax measure, and a sharp increase in payroll taxes. If the measures Hill fought for had passed, Montanans would be paying more for guns, trucks, groceries, and to recreate.”

Dick continued: “That’s unacceptable, and Rick Hill needs to come clean about his long record of pushing for higher taxes in our state.”

Examples of Congressman Hill Leading the Charge for Higher Taxes in Montana Include: 

Helena, Mont. – Rick Hill, during his tenure as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, took campaign contributions from questionable corporate entities followed by supporting their legislative interests. The companies involved in this pay-to-play scheme with Rick Hill include Enron, JP Morgan, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Countrywide.

“Rick Hill’s tenure as a member of congress is littered with him supporting corporate interests over those of the average Montanan,” said Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Ted Dick. “He embarked on a seedy corporate pay-to-play scheme, which involved him receiving thousands of dollars in campaign donations from questionable corporations, and in exchange supported their legislative interests.”

Examples of Congressman Rick Hill’s Pay-to-Play Scheme Include: 

As Montana's century-old tradition of keeping unlimited corporate money out of politics took a blow in court yesterday, Congressman Dennis Rehberg is doubling down on his belief that corporations are people.  

Here's what Rehberg said on a right-wing talk show* earlier this month:

 Two maps* of the same state represented by the same two members of Congress tell a very different tale about their respective commitments to Montana:

Helena, Mont. – As a candidate for governor, Congressman Rick Hill often talks about creating jobs. But, he fails to mention that while serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he led the charge against hard working, middle class families in our state.  He even claimed that a $1 per hour pay raise for minimum wage employees would be “harmful” to workers (1).

One year ago today, multimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg threw his support behind the anti-hunting Roadless Area Release act, which would jeopardize thousands of acres of world-class wildlife habitat.  Like so many other bills Congressman Rehberg has supported, this one has seen no listening sessions, but lots of opposition--including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Ted Dick says Congressman Rehberg's long political career has been defined by ignoring Montana values:  

MT Democrats: “Why Isn’t Rick Hill Talking About His Record in Congress?”

“The People of Montana Deserve an Education on Hill’s Congressional Tenure”

Helena, Mont. – Congressman Rick Hill, the current Republican frontrunner for Governor in Montana, omitted mention of his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives during his first television advertisement released this week. And, the Montana Democratic Party is ensuring that voters get the facts about his background as a member of congress.

Ted Dick, the Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party, posed the following questions: