Tester quietly releases public schedule after breaking campaign promise by not updating for months

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Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont., on Tuesday quietly released his public schedule on his Senate website between April 14 and April 20 after not updating his public schedule for almost three months, which broke his campaign pledge to be transparent about with whom he meets. 

Tester pledged to publicize his official calendar dating back to his 2006 Senate campaign, but his public schedule appeared to be non-existent over the last few months when important issues like filibuster reform, the stimulus, and other important issues were being discussed.

Tester's public schedule was archived nearly a dozen times between February 1 and April 19, only showing Tester's schedule during the last week in January, according to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. On April 20, Tester's schedule was updated to show his schedule between April 14 and April 20.

"Due to a staff error, Senator Tester’s public schedule was not posted online from Jan-28-April 20," Tester's communications director, Sarah Feldman, told Fox News in an emailed statement. "Upon learning of the error we immediately corrected the issue, and those dates are now online where everyone can see. Senator Tester is proud to be the first Senator in either party to post his daily public schedule and will continue providing the transparency that Montanans and all Americans deserve from their elected leaders."

FRESHMAN SEN. JON TESTER POSTS DAILY SCHEDULE TO FULFILL CAMPAIGN PROMISE

The senator’s online calendar has been a staple of his political persona since his first Senate campaign. During his 2018 re-election campaign, one of his press releases touted that he "was the first member of Congress and is still the only member of Montana's Congressional Delegation to post his daily public schedule on his website."

A 2007 report from the Associated Press confirmed that Tester was fulfilling his campaign promise of updating his calendar, which the report said would illustrate whether he’s working out, spending time with family or meeting with lobbyists and special interest groups.

Tester has touted himself as the first public official to post his daily schedule online, warts and all, and signed an ethics pledge in 2006 promising he would "ban all lobbyist gifts, meals and travel paid for by outside sources" as well as "ban secret meetings with lobbyists."

"As far as myself is concerned, I think that the level of responsibility and accountability that I’ve brought to Washington, D.C. are – and transparency – are unmeasured," Tester said during a Senate race debate in 2012.

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"I was the first person to put my schedule online, first person to do an audit, first person to carry bills that really make Washington, D.C.’s government look a lot like Montana’s," Tester continued.

Tester boasts about his calendar on his website’s "Biography" and "Accountability and Transparency" pages, with the latter saying Tester is "the only member of the Montana delegation to post his daily public schedule online."

An earlier version of this story said Tester's office didn't respond to an email seeking comment; the email was sent to the wrong address.