'WILL NOT BE SEEKING OFFICE': After abandoning US Senate bid, Rep. Matt Rosendale drops House re-election bid too

Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, who announced a U.S. Senate bid but then dropped it and announced a House re-election bid, has now dropped that as well.

"I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT VISIT MY CHILDREN BECAUSE OF A DEATH THREAT AGAINST ME AND FALSE AND DEFAMATORY RUMORS AGAINST ME AND MY FAMILY. THIS HAS TAKEN A SERIOUS TOLL ON ME, AND MY FAMILY. ADDITIONALLY, IT HAS CAUSED A SERIOUS DISRUPTION TO THE ELECTION OF THE NEXT REPRESENTATIVE FOR MT-02," the House Freedom Caucus member said a statement released on Friday.

"TO ME, PUBLIC SERVICE HAS TRULY ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT SERVING, NOT TITLES OR POSITIONS OF POWER. THE CURRENT ATTACKS HAVE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO FOCUS ON MY WORK TO SERVE YOU. SO, IN THE BEST INTEREST OF MY FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY, I AM WITHDRAWING FROM THE HOUSE RACE AND WILL NOT BE SEEKING OFFICE," he announced.

Last month, Rosendale mounted a U.S. Senate bid, but former President Donald Trump endorsed a different candidate, Tim Sheehy. GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah had backed Rosendale. But after launching the Senate bid, Rosendale then abandoned it, citing Trump's endorsement of Sheehy and a "lack of resources."

In late February, Rosendale announced that he would seek re-election to his House seat.

But now the congressman has abandoned that bid as well.

Last month, former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) suggested that there was a "reason" Rosendale dropped his Senate bid, claiming that there is a rumor that Rosendale "impregnated a 20-year-old staff person."

"This is 100% false and defamatory and former Senator Heitkamp will be hearing from our lawyers soon," Rosendale spokesperson Ron Kovach said in a statement, according to Politico.

"After 14 years of public service, our family has gotten used to a certain amount of attacks on Matt for standing up for what he believes in," the congressman's wife Jean Rosendale noted, according to NonStop Local. "But this disturbing lie about our entire family is truly political mudslinging at its worst and everyone should be offended by it."

A letter to Heitkamp from counsel to Rosendale described Heitkamp's claim as a "false and defamatory statement." The letter, posted online by NonStop Local, states in part, "this letter provides you with written notice that my client anticipates additional legal proceedings related to the Defamatory Statement."

"This letter places you on notice that you are under an obligation to safeguard and preserve all documents, records, and data related to the Defamatory Statement or to my client," the letter notes.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!