1. Montana GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy admitted to lying about how he got a gunshot wound while serving in Afghanistan.
2. Sheehy had previously told a park ranger in 2015 that his firearm accidentally discharged and caused the wound.
3. Sheehy’s admission came after inconsistencies piled up about how he was shot, but he remains favored to win the GOP Senate primary in Montana.
Montana GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy admitted to lying about how he got a gunshot wound in 2015 at Glacier National Park. Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, initially told a park ranger that his firearm accidentally discharged, but he later confessed that he was shot in uncertain circumstances while serving in Afghanistan. The incident resulted in a $525 fine for discharging a gun in a national park.
Sheehy’s admission came after inconsistencies arose in his accounts of how he was shot in Afghanistan. While his campaign provided an x-ray to experts that cast doubt on the nature of his wound, Sheehy had written multiple versions of being shot while serving overseas in his 2023 memoir, “Mudslingers.” Despite this, his Bronze Star and Purple Heart awards for combat service remain undisputed.
In response to the controversy, Sheehy’s campaign issued a statement emphasizing that he remains committed to fighting for Montanans as their next US Senator, despite facing attacks and misinformation from the political opposition. He is favored to win the GOP Senate primary and is seen as a strong candidate against incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Tester, according to recent polls. Tester currently leads Sheehy in polling, but the race is expected to be competitive leading up to the election.