Montana Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin has been nominated to serve as U.S. Marshal for the District of Montana, the White House announced Wednesday.

Gootkin has been the state's lead prisons official since the start of Gov. Greg Gianforte's first term in 2021. He previously served as the sheriff of Gallatin County, where he worked in local law enforcement for 27 years.

The nomination for the four-year term must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Montana's two Republican U.S. senators both expressed support for the pick in statements issued on Wednesday.

The announcement from President Donald Trump's administration comes amid a catastrophic water failure at the Montana State Prison near Deer Lodge - an incident that has demanded much of the department's focus in recent we

See Full Page