Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte returned home late Thursday after a lengthy and mysterious absence as the state reeled from severe flooding.
The governor’s office confirmed his scheduled return after days of confusion about the Republican’s location as the state dug out from the catastrophe.
It had refused to disclose his location, citing security reasons, but the outlet Newsy obtained a photo of Mr. Gianforte and his wife at a restaurant in Casole d’Elsa, a small village in the Tuscany region of Italy.
The governor’s office said he left before the flooding occurred and tried to get home as quickly as possible, though his absence throughout this week prompted withering criticism and confusion over why he couldn’t return sooner.
Some compared it to Sen. Ted Cruz’s flight to Cancun during a major winter storm in Texas last year, while others raised former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s trip to Argentina in 2009 to see a mistress even as his office claims he was hiking the Appalachian Trail.
The flooding ravaged roadways and force Yellowstone National Park, a small part of which is in Montana, to close.
Mr. Gianforte portrayed himself as engaged in the response on social media during his absence, thanking President Biden and the congressional delegation for emergency assistance.
“We have secured a presidential major disaster declaration for Montana to help communities respond, recover, and rebuild,” he tweeted Thursday. “The state will continue bringing its resources to bear to support communities impacted by flooding.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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