A principled Montana Republican has resigned from his post, citing endemic corruption in the State capital, which he described as “bought and paid for” by the tobacco industry. Rep. Rob Marshall (R-Hamilton) slammed the corrupt politicians in a post to social media, where he desired the “swamp,” in terms similar to those used by President Trump.
For context, Donald Trump popularized the phrase “drain the swamp” during his 2016 presidential campaign, using it to criticize entrenched political interests in Washington. According to Trump, the “swamp” is a metaphor for the corrupt insider dealings that have come to characterize establishment politics.
In any case, “This is a resignation because I don’t want to swim in the swamp anymore,” the brave state representative told reporters, adding, “Why would I want to stay? I’m not a corrupt person. Why do I want to stay around a bunch of corrupt people?”
Beginning March 3, 2025 the incident, Marshall was enraged by House Bill 525, which would create a registry for vapor products containing nicotine and allow only the sale of products registered with the Attorney General. According to the former Montana Republican, this is a classic example of swamp politics.
Slamming the proposed law, he said, “The only authorized products that are on the market right now through the FDA are Big Tobacco products — Reynolds, British American Tobacco, Altria, you know, Juul. This bill, basically what it is, is a monopoly bill.”
Firing away at the corrupt bill, Marshal was irate at a massive tax increase hidden in the proposed law. He declared, “I take it personally, very personally. It came out of (committee), 21-zip with a Republican majority… and you call yourselves conservative Republicans?”
Continuing his attack, the principled conservative blasted state officials. He added, “The Attorney General’s been bought and paid for, leadership’s been bought and paid for … You know, they’re all in it. They’re all involved in it, along with the lobbyists. The lobbyists run this capital. Don’t ever think that the people have a say up here, because you don’t.”
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Explaining his decision to vacate office, Marshall clarified, “The people need to understand that if you want your voice heard up here, you get rid of all these lobbyists. Get rid of them all because it’s the absolute worst thing that could happen to a citizen government,” adding, “So I’m going to go back to being a citizen.”
Despite the contentious nature of the decision, House Republican leaders released a statement thanking Marshall for his service. They wrote, “Since his election, Representative Marshall has been a strong advocate for his constituents, and we appreciate his contribution to the Legislature. As we move forward, Montana House Republicans will continue serving the people of Montana and delivering on the commitments we’ve made to our constituents.”
However, some Republicans were unhappy with Marshall. Ravalli County Republican Central Committee chairman Ron Stoltz reacted, “I think it was a very poor decision at the moment. You were elected for a position, and to quit in the middle isn’t right.”
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