Montana Campaign Chaos: Rep. Zinke Accuses Primary Opponent’s Husband of Assault, Calls for Apology

Rep. Ryan Zinke has called for an apology from his primary opponent’s spouse, following an incident where a member of his staff was allegedly punched. 

As per Zinke’s account of the incident, Rick, Mary Todd’s husband, was observed removing Zinke campaign signs at the Montana GOP kick-off in Helena, Mont. on Saturday. 

Todd was asked to leave by campaign staff, but his behavior escalated as he attempted to forcefully take a sign from my staff’s hands. He proceeded to yell at my staff and other witnesses, displaying aggressive behavior. 

After an altercation, Todd physically assaulted a member of my staff, causing them to leave the scene. Throughout the incident, Todd became increasingly agitated and directed his anger towards event staff and other witnesses who were trying to defuse the situation.

Zinke stated that Todd then approached his staff in a ‘aggressive’ manner to apologize and was once again requested to leave. Mary Todd later expressed regret for her husband’s actions, acknowledging that they were inappropriate and disgraceful. 

Disputed Claims: Accusations and Misunderstandings in Political Campaign

Mary Todd claimed that Zinke made false and defamatory statements, according to her statement to DailyMail.com. According to her, her husband was quite displeased when Zinke showcased a large photograph of a check they had contributed to his campaign during the Republican event. 

The accusations made by Zinke on Feb 12, 2024 are completely untrue and damaging. Following the Congressional Primary of 2022, my husband Rick and I made two $1000 donations to Ryan Zinke’s campaign. We also organized a fundraiser in our home, as a way to pay tribute to him.’

‘What the Zinke campaign is referring to as “campaign material” is actually one of the checks that they enlarged and publicly showcased at the GOP winter Kick-Off in Helena. My husband was understandably upset, but Zinke has resorted to making false and defamatory statements.

During the 2022 campaign, when Todd and Zinke were also facing off in a primary, Zinke claimed that Rick Todd had verbally confronted his wife and female staff. The congressman then mentioned the tragic incident involving Todd’s son, which occurred in Singapore ten years ago.