A Helena district court judge has narrowed the scope of a lawsuit challenging sections of the Montana Republican Party's bylaws that require loyalty oaths from members and give the state central committee authority to remove members at will, according to attorneys involved in the case.
The ruling doesn't end the litigation but focuses it, keeping alive the core challenge to the removal and oath provisions while apparently trimming other claims. The plaintiffs have argued that those bylaw provisions are being used to purge members who don't demonstrate sufficient fealty to party leadership — a process they say violates their rights.
State GOP Chairman Art Wittich, who was visible at the party's June convention in Missoula, has been a central figure in the controversy surrounding the bylaws. The central committee's authority to remove members has been a flashpoint within the Montana Republican Party, which has seen internal tension between its establishment and more insurgent factions in recent cycles.
The case continues in Helena's district court. The narrowed scope means the judge found at least some of the plaintiffs' claims legally viable enough to proceed toward trial or further briefing.