A progressive political group focused on veterans' issues is calling out a former Navy SEAL officer following what the organization called "bombshell" reports that found he may have "misrepresented" aspects of his military service to try to win an election.
Tim Sheehy is a former Navy SEAL officer who served from 2008 to 2014 and was deployed to conflict zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart. Now, he's trying to unseat the Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester in a closely watched Montana race.
On Friday, two people who had close interactions with Sheehy talked to The New York Times about his gunshot wound story.
The decorated war veteran has said he was hit, possibly by friendly fire, by a ricochet bullet during a 2012 firefight. The story has faced increased scrutiny after the Washington Post revealed Sheehy told officials he shot himself in the arm three years later when he accidentally discharged a gun in the national park. At the time, he told the newspaper that was a "lie" he'd made up to "protect himself and his former platoonmates from facing a potential military investigation into an old bullet wound."
But a former SEAL colleague of Sheehy told the Times he and the MAGA Republican were close before they deployed — and that Sheehy never told him about any gunshot wound. He said Sheehy almost certainly would have as they talked often about their deployment.
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Additionally, park ranger Kim Peach said he spoke with Sheehy at the hospital when he was injured in the state and that Sheehy told him he shot himself in the arm on accident and even gave Peach the revolver with a spent round.
Travis Tazelaar, a Marine Corps veteran and political director at the organization VoteVets, shredded Sheehy in a statement.
"These new bombshell reports detailing Tim Sheehy’s inconsistencies in describing his military service raises serious questions and concerns," said Tazelaar. "As a Veteran-led organization, we are deeply troubled that a fellow Veteran may have misrepresented aspects of their service while trying to win a political campaign. Montanans deserve to be represented by someone who will be honest with them and the nation."
Tazelaar added that Sheehy has been "known to lie about nearly everything — from growing up "rural" to living "below the poverty line" — and today's reporting only deepens concerns that Sheehy will only continue to be dishonest with Montanans."