- Staff asked Rick Todd to leave and he “became aggressive” and “attempted to forcibly take the sign out of my staff’s hands while yelling at my staff and other witnesses.”
- “I understand that Rick and Mary carry a heavy burden of family grief and may be angry about their failed House race in 2022,” Zinke said.
Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke demanded that his 2022 primary opponent’s “aggressive” husband apologize after he allegedly hit a member of his staff over the weekend.
According to Zinke’s account of the fight, Mary Todd’s husband, Rick, was seen tearing down her campaign signs at the Montana Republican Party kickoff in Helena, Mont. on Saturday.
Campaign staff asked Todd to leave and he “became aggressive” and “tried to forcibly take the sign out of my staff’s hands while yelling at my staff and other witnesses,” Zinke said.
“Todd then punched a member of my staff, who quickly left the situation with the witnesses while Mr. Todd yelled at the event staff and other witnesses who were trying to get him to leave.”
Rep. Ryan Zinke has demanded that his 2022 primary opponent’s “aggressive” husband apologize after he allegedly hit a member of his staff over the weekend.
Zinke said Todd then “aggressively” approached his staff to apologize and was again asked to leave.
Mary Todd then reportedly apologized for her husband and said his actions were “wrong and shameful.”
Zinke said that during the 2022 campaign, when they were also facing off in a primary, Rick Todd “verbally accosted” Zinke’s wife and female staff.
The congressman then brought up the alleged brutal murder of Todd’s son in Singapore a decade ago.
According to Zinke’s account of the fight, Mary Todd’s husband, Rick, was seen tearing down Zinke’s campaign signs at the Montana Republican Party kickoff in Helena, Mont. on Saturday
“I understand that Rick and Mary carry a heavy burden of family grief and may be angry about their failed 2022 House race, where Mary Todd garnered little support despite spending considerable personal wealth,” he said.
Todd’s son Shane was found hanged in his Singapore apartment in June 2012. Singapore police ruled the death a suicide, but Mary Todd insists his son was murdered because I wouldn’t transfer high-tech secrets to a Chinese company.
“I forgave his campaign’s lies,” Zinke continued. “Despite my fundamental belief that people should be held accountable for their actions and words, I believe this episode is best resolved with a personal apology and a promise to end all aggressive actions and lies.”
In 2022, Zinke garnered 41.7 percent of the Republican primary vote compared to Todd’s 10.4 percent.
He then won the election for Montana’s 1st district 49.6 to 46.5 percent.