As a disclaimer, I understand opposition research on candidates, it is the nature of the political beast; though I don't respect outright lies, misrepresentation, dark money agendas, out of state corporate machinations, etc.
I knew when I got started in conservation and began the EMWH site and newsletter that at some point, someone would try something intimidating. The type of research I have done for decades, often pisses someone off. I didn't figure hunting/angling conservation would be any different, so I have done certain things to help insulate or protect from intimidation.
When a Bresnan exec targeted my newsletter a couple years ago, blacklisting it, I fought back and got it whitelisted, took a few months, but it was secured. When it was blocked from even going out by my Montana server later, I had to abandon my buy local philosophy and move my server out of state. Both of those situations had a common denominator, a particular congressman.
Since I rent now, I have to make sure my landlords don't have an issue with my work, so that pressure can't be brought from that angle. I don't have loans that banks could mess with, no charge card debt, no vehicle loan. I am pretty well insulated on that front. They can't threaten my job, as I have seen others threatened. I have already heard of threats involving the Crazy Mountain situation to someone's job, besides Sienkiewicz'.
I decided to say something about being investigated by opposition researchers, post the hunting license history request, not because I was worried or intimidated, but because there may be others, not so well insulated. I hope that by shining a light on this, it might give courage to someone else to speak up, to fight back. And I hope by posting the request that people would see for themselves where this originated from, that it was genuine, this is actually taking place.
I don't think they are going to find much, friends used to joke in HS that I was Rebecca of Sunny Brook Farms. So I tried being bad, skipped school for a few days, forged a note from my father. No one caught me, because I was so responsible all the time and my forged note was awesome, they didn't suspect a thing. Kind of defeated the purpose of intentionally being bad.
I am sure they could take something innocuous and twist it if they want.
The attacks on groups, such as the Green Decoy bs, are broad. But to go after individuals, not candidates, in my opinion, is a whole other level. The fact that they were looking at my hunting/angling history tells me that is a disconcerting factor for them. They might have hoped that I didn't have one, which makes me wonder if it was the same group that looked into Quist. Now that is a thought! I should request the request for Quist's hunting license, to see who that was.
Recently, Troy Downing was interviewed on Voices of Montana. It showed up on my newsfeed. When I saw that they were questioning the source of the FWP citations I found the audio and listened. It was me they were talking about. They didn't mention my name, they said I was an environmentalist (like it was a dirty word) and named my website. It was not a convenient fact that I am a hunter and angler and approach most of my conservation work from that position. That bit wouldn't work with the narrative they were trying to promote for Troy Downing, that he is a sportsman, to try to appeal to all the hunters and anglers in Montana.
If anything, I think this is going to make me start looking closer at some key players in this, even if the subject matter doesn't deal with hunting & angling or public lands/access.
) even take the time to engage with them anymore.
