13-37-131. Misrepresentation of voting record -- political civil libel. - Montana Statutes

     13-37-131. Misrepresentation of voting record -- political civil libel. (1) It is unlawful for a person to misrepresent a candidate's public voting record or any other matter that is relevant to the issues of the campaign with knowledge that the assertion is false or with a reckless disregard of whether or not the assertion is false.
     (2) It is unlawful for a person to misrepresent to a candidate another candidate's public voting record or any other matter that is relevant to the issues of the campaign with knowledge that the assertion is false or with a reckless disregard of whether or not the assertion is false.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, the public voting record of a candidate who was previously a member of the legislature includes a vote of that candidate recorded in committee minutes or in journals of the senate or the house of representatives. Failure of a person to verify a public voting record is evidence of the person's reckless disregard if the statement made by the person or the information provided to the candidate is false.
     (4) A person violating subsection (1) or (2) is liable in a civil action brought by the commissioner or county attorney pursuant to 13-37-124 for an amount up to $1,000. An action pursuant to this section is subject to the provisions of 13-37-129 and 13-37-130.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 483, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 352, L. 1999.