BILLINGS, Mont. — A former ranger with the National Park Service recently accused Tim Sheehy, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Montana, of lying about a bullet wound he claims was sustained while serving in Afghanistan. This revelation comes as a significant blow to Sheehy’s campaign, causing further scrutiny just weeks before the election.
Kim Peach, the former ranger, alleged that Sheehy actually shot himself during a family vacation in Montana instead of during combat—a claim that Sheehy and his supporters have quickly dismissed as a politically motivated attack orchestrated by Democrats. With the election approaching, Sheehy is up against three-term Democratic incumbent Senator Jon Tester, making this accusation a potential hurdle in his campaign.
Sheehy, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, has based much of his campaign on his military background, often recounting his experiences and injuries from combat, including a 2012 arm injury. He received a Purple Heart for one set of wounds and also holds a Bronze Star.
A spokesperson for Sheehy’s campaign characterized Peach as a partisan Democrat spreading damaging lies, stating, “Anyone trying to diminish Tim Sheehy’s service as a young man in some of the most perilous places is either a political hack or a journalist with an ulterior motive.”
The controversy surrounding the injury to his arm has been revisited since April when The Washington Post quoted an anonymous Glacier National Park ranger stating that Sheehy accidentally discharged his weapon in 2015 after it fell from his vehicle and went off in a Logan Pass parking area. Peach is the ranger referenced in that article.
Documents reveal that Sheehy was fined $525 for improperly discharging a firearm in Glacier National Park. In response to the April claims, Sheehy stated that he provided false details to the ranger but was not lying about the Afghan injury. He further explained that he had fallen while hiking in Glacier and fabricated the bullet wound story to deflect attention from the possibility of friendly fire from his 2012 deployment. He wanted to protect his SEAL teammates from potential consequences.
With early voting already taking place in Montana and the race heating up, Peach, who identifies as a Democrat, stated he felt compelled to expose the truth behind Sheehy’s account. Peach claims he interviewed Sheehy in a hospital following the shooting incident, noting that Sheehy was visibly embarrassed and acknowledged that the gun had discharged in the park. “He knows the truth, and the truth isn’t complicated. It’s when you start lying that things become complicated,” Peach asserted.
Peach has retired after more than 30 years as a park ranger and resides in a small town near Glacier National Park. He recently shared a photo of himself wearing a hat that reads “Make America Wrong Again” and has voted for Democratic candidates. He denied having any ties to Tester’s campaign or other party organizations.
As the race tightens, Tester’s campaign has been airing advertisements criticizing Sheehy for the alleged dishonesty related to his injury. Though awaiting remarks from Tester’s campaign, they have utilized Peach’s comments as a “firsthand account” of the incident.
In contrast, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Mike Berg, dismissed Peach’s statements, suggesting they reflect a growing concern among Democrats regarding Tester’s potential defeat. He described this as “the last gasp of a career politician who sees his career about to end.”
