Montana Republican Tim Sheehy, who is running for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), was recorded making racially charged and disparaging comments about Native Americans.
Char-Koosta News, the official news publication of the Flathead Indian Reservation, revealed shocking audio of the Republican candidate during a November fundraiser.
Sheehy trashed his relationship with Crow Reservation tribal members, saying, "a great way to bond with all the Indians while they’re drunk at 8:00 A.M.”
One of Sheehy's ranching partners is a Crow member.
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"We ranch together on the Crow res," he told the group. "So, I'm pretty involved down there. Road through their annual Crow Fair this year. Um, and I've broken bread with them every year... so... Great way to bond with all the Indians while they're drunk at 8:00 A.M. and you're ropin' together."
A number of male voices laugh.
The comments are remarkably similar to those he made during a Nov. 10 event in Hamilton, claiming he rode in the Cow Fair parade.
He claimed that one of the first things he did was strap a Sheehy sign to his horse and ride through the "Crow Res parade."
"And if you know a tough crowd, go through the Crow parade," he said. "Now, they’ll let you know when they like you or not, if Coors Light cans flying by your head… They respect that. You know, you go where the action is. They say, that guy's not that bad, ya know? Rode a horse through the parade. That's pretty cool. And I threw a beer can at his head, and he didn't even flinch!"
Char-Koosta News said it was working to verify the authenticity of the audio and asked for comment from the Sheehy campaign.
Last month, it was revealed Sheehy was on the verge of watching the business he started — and has touted as his main qualification for the job — collapse because the company can't pay its bills.
Meanwhile, Sheehy's service as a Navy Seal in Iraq was questioned after the Washington Post found inconsistencies in his account.
"Most notably, Sheehy, who now owns an aerial firefighting business, has told voters that he has a bullet in his arm from combat in Afghanistan," the Post reported.
The reality, however, is that Sheehy told a National Park Service ranger in 2015 that he accidentally shot himself when his Colt .45 revolver fell. The gun then discharged in Montana’s Glacier National Park, ultimately shooting himself, court records showed.
Sheehy also hired a staffer known for liking and sharing racist posts.
