The Latest: Montana secretary of state agrees to testify

HELENA, Mont. – The Latest on the Montana secretary of state (all times local):

2:10 p.m.

Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton is planning to testify before a legislative committee later this month about two contracts his office awarded.

Stapleton’s chief of staff, Christi Jacobsen, said Friday that Stapleton accepted an invitation by State Administration and Veterans’ Affairs Interim Committee chairwoman Sue Malek to appear before the panel on No. 13.

Malek requested Stapleton’s testimony in a letter Thursday about the contracts awarded to a longtime Stapleton ally, Republican consultant Jake Eaton, and his wife.

Malek, a Democrat, says concerns have been raised about the $265,000 printing contract awarded to Eaton to fix errors in the state’s voter information pamphlet and the $60,000 contract for Eaton’s wife, attorney Emily Jones, to represent Stapleton in a lawsuit.

Stapleton, a Republican, and his staff have said the contracts were necessary and justified.

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11:10 a.m.

The head of the Montana legislative committee is asking Secretary of State Corey Stapleton to answer questions about his office’s spending.

State Administration and Veterans’ Affairs Interim Committee chairwoman Sue Malek, a Democrat, requested that Stapleton, a Republican, appear before the panel on Nov. 13.

Malek wrote Stapleton a letter Thursday that says she wants him to address two contracts awarded by his office.

The first is a $265,000 printing contract to a longtime Stapleton ally, GOP consultant Jake Eaton, to fix errors contained in the state voter information pamphlet.

The second is the $60,000 it cost to hire Eaton’s wife, Billings attorney Emily Jones, to represent Stapleton’s office in a ballot access lawsuit earlier this year.

Stapleton and his staff have said the contracts were necessary and justified.