This Montana Senate candidate said his opponent ate 'lobbyist steak.' But he lobbied—with steak

During an October debate, Montana GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy took a shot at his Democratic opponent, Sen. Jon Tester, for ” eating lobbyist steak ″ while the Republican fought in Afghanistan.

But Sheehy himself had a taste for red meat and lobbying, according to emails obtained by The Associated Press. He combined the two in pursuit of government contracts that allowed his aerial firefighting company to rapidly expand over the past decade.

“I hope you enjoyed the steakhouse,” Sheehy wrote to Ryan Osmundson, the state Budget Director after a November 2021 meeting in Martinsdale, Montana. Sheehy went on to describe his company's aircraft as “ideal” for a dedicated, state-based fleet of planes to aggressively fight fires. There’s no indication the lobbying of Montana officials involved any wrongdoing by Bridger Aerospace or Sheehy.

Sheehy’s bid to prevent Tester from winning a fourth term is widely seen as one of the GOP's best chances at reclaiming the Democratic-controlled Senate. The Republican's campaign has leaned heavily on his military record and business accomplishments while routinely criticizing Tester for being the top recipient of lobbyist cash in Congress.

Fighting wildfires from above

Sheehy's career as a U.S. Navy SEAL ended in 2014. By 2021, as CEO of Belgrade-based Bridger Aerospace, he was pressing Montana officials to put money into establishing a statewide aerial firefighting force that stood to benefit his company.

In subsequent months, a lobbyist working on behalf of Sheehy kept making the case for a dedicated Montana firefighting fleet, records show. And Sheehy met and communicated with top state officials, urging them to create the fleet under exclusive contracts to ensure the aircraft would