Montana Senate Candidate Kurt Alme Under Scrutiny for 2020 Plea Deal

In February 2020, as Montana’s U.S. attorney, Kurt Alme approved a plea that reduced tribal officer Mychal Thomas Damon’s charge from federal abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 (punishable by life imprisonment) to felony child-abuse. The deal raised the alleged victim’s age to “under 14,” removed sexual-intent language, moved the case out of the federal sex-crime framework, and eliminated sex-offender registration. Damon received credit for 324 days served and was sentenced to two years supervised release.

HuffPost

Alme served as Montana’s U.S. attorney from September 2017 to December 2020 and again from March 2025 to March 2026, both appointments by President Trump. His office declined 64 percent of sexual-assault referrals, citing “weak or insufficient evidence,” a rationale echoed in a 2010 GAO report. The original Damon charge allowed a life term, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years supervised release; 2025 data for comparable offenses show an average of 62 months imprisonment and 143 months supervised release. Alme is the Republican nominee for the Senate seat after Sen. Steve Daines withdrew in March 2026. He faces Democrat Alani Bankhead, who raised $2.5 million from a progressive veterans’ PAC, and independent Seth Bodnar, a former University of Montana president endorsed by former Sen. Jon Tester and former Gov. Marc Racicot.

HuffPost

Alme’s spokesperson said the plea followed Department of Justice policy, which “required defendants to plead to the most serious charge readily provable from the evidence.” The office was described as having “prosecuted every viable sexual abuse felony referred to it,” and the decline of cases was framed as “to allow more appropriate tribal prosecutions—not dropped.” Sen. Daines praised Alme’s confirmation as U.S. attorney in an October 2025 press release.

HuffPost

Democratic critics argue the plea “manufactures a fake narrative that exploits crimes against women and children,” accusing Alme of using discretion to shield a sexual-abuse offender. Observers note that the sentence and removal of sex-offender registration diverge from typical federal sentencing patterns.

HuffPost

Sources do not explain why Alme’s office reduced Damon’s charge and sentencing, nor why Damon is absent from both the national and Montana sex-offender registries as of June 2026. The office’s “insufficient evidence” rationale contrasts with the victim’s testimony describing genital contact.

HuffPost

• “Kurt’s liberal opponents are twisting the facts to manufacture a fake narrative that exploits crimes against women and children,” — Alme spokesperson

HuffPost

• “Department of Justice policy required defendants to plead to the most serious charge readily provable from the evidence.” — Alme spokesperson

HuffPost

• “Mychal touched me” — victim

HuffPost

November 2026 Senate race will test whether Alme’s record, including the Damon plea, influences voters. Bankhead and Bodnar present alternatives, while Alme’s team pledges to apply his experience with Tribal Multi-Disciplinary Teams to improve investigations of crimes against children.

HuffPost