Montana’s utility regulation commission voted Tuesday to demote one of its members, Brad Molnar of Laurel, stripping him of his title as the commission’s president in a 3-2 vote.

The vote came after weeks of strife and an hour and a half of debate about the procedures for dealing with disagreements among the Montana Public Service Commission’s elected commissioners and their staff. That strife has included a push by some of Molnar’s colleagues to have Gov. Greg Gianforte remove him from office.

Commission Vice President Jennifer Fielder and PSC Executive Director Alana Lake have alleged that Molnar has demonstrated discriminatory and retaliatory behavior, but have made few details public. Molnar has bristled against the allegations, arguing that they’re vague and politically motivated.

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