Crystal Roascio, Bill Bullock and Carbon County Cleared of Wrongdoing After Three Criminal Investigations into Alleged Ballot Shredding
After RLPD, DCI and FBI investigations exonerate all parties, Lisa Bennett publishes another Liberty Bell "newspaper" making same false accusations
By Denise Rivette
A letter dated January 22, 2024, sent by the U.S. Department of Justice to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), states that three taxpayer funded investigations [conducted by Red Lodge Police Department, Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)] instigated by Lisa and Albert “Chip” Bennett into Carbon County’s administration of the 2022 elections cleared Crystal Roascio and the rest of Carbon County of the “shredding of ballots or other unlawful activity.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Newman states in his letter’s conclusion:
“The videotape evidence does not support the allegations that ballots were shredded, but is instead consistent with Roascio's explanation that she was appropriately shredding information relating to overseas voters to protect their privacy, in line with that office's standard procedures. Furthermore, the allegations are contradicted by statements of other election officials and law enforcement personnel who were present at the tabulation center at the time, and who did not see any shredding of ballots or other unlawful activity. Notably, both the Red Lodge Police Department and the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) investigated the allegations and determined they were unfounded. Consequently, I am declining to prosecute this case in federal court.”
Despite the County’s full exoneration by the highest law enforcement and prosecutorial bodies in the country, Lisa Bennett continues to push the falsehood that unlawful shredding occurred and that the Carbon County Election Administrator and Commissioner Bill Bullock are complicit in the alleged crime. Her latest onslaught comes in the form of a hard copy publication resembling a newspaper called The Liberty Bell that is being disseminated throughout the county.
The Liberty Bell does not list its editor or publisher and provides no contact information; there are political ads that do not state who paid for them in violation of Montana Election laws; and there is doctored and misleading text that is either without a byline or purporting to be written by people who deny authorship. Elements are reproduced from other publications without copyright permission. The Liberty Bell is an excellent example of the easily recognizable fake news you’ve been hearing so much about.
In an open letter to the citizens of Carbon County, Commissioner Bill Bullock stated:
Dear friends and neighbors:
It has come to my attention that a publication has been distributed recently libeling and defaming my name and reputation. The lies and misleading comments in this publication are just that; libel and lies.
These patently false accusations are being put forward by some newcomers to our County. They have no idea, nor do they want to take the time to learn what it takes to live here, and definitely have no desire to comprehend what it takes to manage the functions of County government. They want to tell us how to live, according to them, and injure all of the reasons we live here and make our lives here. Don’t fall for it. These folks have brought their problems with them, and now, want to make their problems, all of ours. It is sad.
Our elections are secure, always have been. The slanderous lies that I somehow interfered with an election, are the ultimate insult. I have never been investigated for this, never been contacted by an investigator, never been interviewed, and have been completely exonerated by the Montana Attorney Generals office and the United States District Attorneys’ office. These accusations are contrived and completely made up.
I would encourage you all to ask yourself the question when it comes time to vote: What have these folks ever done for anyone else, ever? It is a very telling question. This election cycle has been one of the most hate filled, contentious in history. We are almost through it. We will get through this, and hopefully be stronger from it.
Sincerely,
Carbon County Commissioner Bill Bullock
The Bennetts’ accusations didn’t result in Bill Bullock being investigated, but Carbon County Elections Administrator Crystal Roascio endured three criminal investigations into how she serves the citizens of Carbon County. The Bennetts’ accusations resulted in an after hours visit by the FBI to Roascio’s home. She was then interrogated by FBI agents. Her name, along with the baseless accusations, were spread all over the internet and social media resulting in a barrage of threats and “nasty” experiences for her and her family. For the last few years, in return for her commitment to Carbon County’s citizens to run clean, fair and open elections, Roascio has had her name smeared in the national news and in our state legislature. She has had to deal with threatening and insulting emails that have caused her concern for her own safety and the safety of her family. In short, her life has been a “living hell” and, because of pending litigation and fear of retaliation, she is unable to discuss her experiences freely.
During the primary campaign, Lisa Bennett published her first issue of The Liberty Bell, many copies of which she admitted were distributed without attributing her campaign as the publisher. She claimed that she affixed stickers with the proper attribution to most of the copies, but a box of copies without stickers was stolen. This was the least of the violations filed against Lisa in this election cycle in legal courts and with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP), Chris Gallus. Gallus has recused himself from COPP cases involving Lisa Bennett because he once represented her against Carbon County in a still ongoing suit filed in October 2022, and there may be future investigations or litigation over Bennett’s fraudulent use of Gallus’ name and signature to form a 501(c)(3) charitable fund that claimed initially to assist victims of the 2022 flood. In addition, the Montana Republican Party has a lawsuit in Carbon County District Court charging that Lisa Bennett created a fake website to fraudulently convince the COPP that she was a compliance officer with the Republican Party causing official State correspondence and notices meant for the Republican Party to be diverted to herself.
After she was defeated in the primary by incumbent Representative for District 55 Brad Barker, Lisa Bennett went on to cobble together another Liberty Bell publication. The content of the publication indicates a belief on Bennett’s part that state and federal election, civil and criminal laws do not apply to her. The unflattering photo of Bill Bullock is a cropped Billings Gazette photo used without permission and in violation of copyright laws. There is a note at the top of the second section of the Liberty Bell before the questions purportedly answered by the candidates that states: “Candidate statements are published as they are submitted to our office. We do not make corrections of any kind or verify statements for truth or fact.” Norma Shultz told this reporter that the answers credited to her contain text she did not provide. Bill Bullock was adamant that he neither received questions nor provided any answers to Lisa Bennett or the Liberty Bell.
Included in the latest Liberty Bell are three inserts. One is an anonymous half lettersized flyer that states as fact that Carbon County Commissioner Bill Bullock was complicit with the County Election Administrator in shredding ballots. This despite the full exoneration that was announced ten months ago. Several people have stated off the record that Lisa Bennett claimed authorship of the Bullock insert and front page article. Also included is an unattributed full page attack on Republican Brad Barker that also speaks favorably of Kim Gillan, his Democratic opponent. With its caricature of a patriotic donkey, the insert may lead some to assume it was produced or paid for by Gillan or the Democratic Party. It was not. Your first clue that this is “fake news” is that Kim’s last name is misspelled. Even the positive political ad for Norma Shultz is fraudulent. Although this is the only insert with attribution, claiming that it was paid for by Norma Shultz, Shultz did not pay for the insert and recognized the flyer as one Lisa Bennett had written and tried to persuade her to use. When Shultz confronted Bennett about who paid for the inserts, Bennett stated she received enough contributions to pay for it. Shultz asked for but has not received the receipts for the donations or the printing of the inserts.
Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s Involvement in the Process
At an October 11, 2023 Yellowstone County Republican Womens meeting, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen answered a question posed by Lisa Bennett in a way that seemed to insinuate that Carbon County officials had done something wrong by ending his comments this way: “There’s an investigation. It’s probably going to go to the County Attorney.” (see video below)
At an October 11, 2023 Yellowstone County Republican Womens meeting, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen answered a question posed by Lisa Bennett in a way that seemed to insinuate that Carbon County officials had done something wrong by ending his comments this way: “There’s an investigation. It’s probably going to go to the County Attorney.” (see video below)
The problem with Knudsen’s statements is that the Attorney General’s Office agreed to accept the case in January 2023. Because the matter involved Carbon County employees, Carbon County Attorney Alex Nixon requested prosecutorial assistance. Pursuant to MCA §7-4-2718 regarding complaints concerning official misconduct, Nixon referred the matter to the Attorney General’s office to review and, if necessary, prosecute the matter. Nixon was informed Knudsen personally agreed to accept the case for review. It is unclear how the investigation and case was handled and resolved in Attorney General Knudsen’s office. Despite initially agreeing to review the case, the Attorney General’s Office subsequently declined to review the matter without explanation.
In the video, Knudsen claims he doesn’t know what is going on with his department’s investigation into Montana officials accused of violating election laws and the public’s trust. He was not familiar enough with the case to know that it was the Red Lodge Police Department (who began their investigation in January 2023), not the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, that in February 2023 requested the DCI investigation to verify the results of the local police investigation.
In an attempt to get a better handle on the timing, Montana Independent News asked for documentation showing the closing of the State’s case. Knudsen’s press office replied, “Our case is closed.”
Video clip captured from Rumble
Can the Bennetts be sued for their baseless and fraudulent waste of taxpayer money? (Not to mention their unscrupulous attacks on county officials.) And Knudsen is not only an extreme far-right ideologue, he’s incompetent, as well.