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Assault inspired Heenan's run for Congress

The assault of a reporter by now-Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., disturbed John Heenan so much that he decided to enter the race to unseat him in next year's election.

Heenan, a Democrat and consumer protection attorney from Billings, said in an interview Saturday that he was troubled not only by Gianforte assaulting Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs the day before last May's special U.S. House election, but also by Gianforte lying about the incident and acting like, Heenan said, he was above the law.

Heenan said that as an attorney he prosecutes people who he said are bullies and think they can get away with things.

"And I saw the same type of thing here and felt that someone needed to stand up to Gianforte on behalf of the people of Montana," he said.

A first-time candidate, Heenan will go up against Grant Kier of Missoula, a former director of the Five Valley Land Trust, and state Rep. Tom Woods, D-Bozeman, in June's Democratic primary. The winner will face Gianforte in the general election.

Heenan said his record representing clients against banks and mortgage companies, and the role he played in the prosecution of politicians like former Rep. Art Wittich, R-Bozeman, who broke campaign finance laws, show he is willing to fight powerful interests.

"As an in-the-trenches, sticking-up for the little guy, consumer-protection lawyer, I can stand up for the people of Montana in a way that nobody is standing up for them now," Heenan said.

Heenan, 40, was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He transferred to the University of Montana after his freshman year of college and earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy. He later graduated with a Juris Doctorate from The University of Montana School of Law and practices law at The Bishop, Heenan & Davies Law Firm.

Heenan and his wife, Meagen, have four children and own the Local Kitchen and Bar, a Billings restaurant.

The outsized influence of corporations and money in politics Heenan said, is the biggest issue the U.S now faces.

Rural Montana, he said, also needs an advocate. Though President Donald Trump's talk of negotiating trade deals sounds good, Heenan said, farmers and ranchers need to continue to be able to export their goods. Hospitals in rural Montana, he said, also need certainty, which he said Gianforte and others undermine when they try to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Heenan said he supports the creation of a single-payer health care system. He said people are often stuck in jobs because they need health insurance or are prevented from starting businesses because of its high cost. Heenan said most people in rural Montana used to be Democrats, but many left the party when it was no longer clear which party represented working people. He added that both parties are too beholden to special interests.

"I think it is important people see who looks out for them and neither party has the market cornered on standing up for working Montanans and working Americans right now," he said.

As a small business owner, Heenan said, that while he can see how regulations can be frustrating, his work representing people who have been ripped off by mortgage lenders and the subprime mortgage crisis show banks cannot police themselves.

Regulation that helps protect people, he said, should be kept in place, while red tape should be done away with.

Heenan said he is against the tax cuts and tax reform proposed by Republicans because almost all of the cuts will go to the wealthy.

It is lower- and middle-income families, not the wealthy, who need tax relief, he said.

Heenan said he was offended by the way lawmakers like Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., blamed this year's wildfires on radical environmentalists and judges who prevented timber harvesting projects from moving forward.

"I think it is irresponsible for politicians to take complex problems and pretend like they are simple so they can score points for themselves," he said.

He said the causes are more complex.

Heenan said any plan to reduce wildfires should include input from scientists and other experts. If the inability to harvest timber is a problem, that should be addressed, Heenan said, but other factors should not be ignored.

 

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