TPMMuckraker

Montana AG Suspends Probe Of American Private Police Force

Michael Hilton

The attorney general of Montana has suspended a short-lived probe of the American Private Police Force, saying that “Captain” Michael Hilton’s failure to answer the AG’s questions “speaks volumes about his company’s legitimacy.”

Attorney General Steve Bullock released this statement last night:

When we opened our investigation into American Police Force a week and a half ago, it was our goal to guarantee that no Montanans were taken advantage of or conned by this company.

Because Michael Hilton and American Police Force will not be doing business in Montana and because I’m unaware of any Montanans who have been harmed financially by this company, our goal has been achieved and we have suspended our inquiry.

In our investigation, my office requested that American Police Force produce basic information to support the claims it had been making. Mr. Hilton’s failure to answer these simple questions about his company speaks volumes about his company’s legitimacy.

Meanwhile, in the tradition of the best hustlers, it appears that Hilton bilked a local inn owner — a $1,000 check he wrote her bounced, she says. But she was charmed, simply charmed, by the Serbian-born APPF official.

“I just find it hard to read what I’ve read and believe it was the same person,” Marcianna Smith told the Billings Gazette. She told the paper Hilton was nice to her cat, adding: “For some reason, I’m not holding any ill will.”

Top Stories From TPM

Oklahoma GOP Sen. Tom Coburn Will Seek To Offset Tornado Aid

Ohio Republicans Push Law To Penalize Colleges For Helping Students Vote

Secret Service Looking Into Radio Host’s Graphic Violent Comments About Obama, Hillary Clinton

VA GOP's Attorney General Nominee Wanted Women To Report Miscarriages To Police Or Face Jail Time

The NRA Thinks These Are The ‘Coolest Gun Movies’ Ever

What Republicans Already Knew About The White House Benghazi Emails

Disqus Conversations

Click here to read the Disqus Commenting FAQ.

Editor & Publisher

Josh Marshall

Managing Editor

David Kurtz

Associate Editor

Nick Martin

Assistant Editor

Igor Bobic

Reporters

Brian Beutler

Sahil Kapur

Eric Lach

Hunter Walker

Frontpage Editor

Zoë Schlanger

News Writers

Tom Kludt

Video Editor

Michael Lester

General Manager & General Counsel

Millet Israeli

VP, Ad Sales

Bruce Ellerstein

Associate Publisher

Kyle Leighton

Assistant To The Publisher

Joe Ragazzo

Designer/Developer

Matthew Wozniak

Design Associate

Christopher O’Driscoll