Analyst: Corruption question might not be as big a penalty for candidates as in decades past

In the final stretch of the campaign, Ryan Zinke is getting clobbered from multiple directions for ethically questionable dealings, even as he announces a victory party in Whitefish.

The Republican is the favorite for the U.S. House of Representatives in Montana’s new western district, according to most national pollsters, but Montana analysts have also said he’s vulnerable.

The most recent jabs came this week as Democrat Monica Tranel’s campaign released a montage of criticisms from Republicans who ran against Zinke in the primary, Al Olszewski and Mary Todd.

“In Washington, Ryan Zinke flew all over serving himself — thousands in taxpayer-funded private jets. So many, President Trump had enough,” Olszewski says in a campaign clip the Tranel team grabbed.

The video follows up with criticism from Todd about Zinke’s “home in Santa Barbara” and being involved in a “corruption scandal” in the Trump administration. Zinke’s wife owns a home in California, and he’s frequently there.

Olszewski could not be reached for comment Wednesday via email and phone, and Todd could not be reached for comment via voicemail.

But questions about ethics and truthfulness have plagued former U.S. Navy SEAL Zinke since his time in the U.S. military, and more recently, through the last days leading up to the general election. Last month, a federal whistleblower traveled to Montana to talk about his...

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