Montana campaign finance manager indicted for wire fraud facing more accusations

A version of this story first appeared in Capitolized, a weekly newsletter featuring expert reporting, analysis and insight from the editors and reporters of Montana Free Press. Want to see Capitolized in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up here.

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Emma Carlson was planning a June 2025 wedding last fall when she happened across Anchor G, a Helena wedding planning business owned by Abbey Lee Cook.

The business owner seemed to check all the boxes when the two met. Carlson needed a day-of planner to manage the event. Cook not only came across as someone who knew what she was doing, she was responsive. 

But after Carslon placed her deposit, Cook’s responsiveness ended, forcing the bride-to-be to make other plans two months ahead of her big day. Carlson put the Anchor G experience behind her as best she could, contesting the $1,700 charge on her credit card, but avoiding a legal challenge she didn’t have time for. 

Last week she read the news that Cook had been indicted for three counts of wire fraud and planned to plead guilty in federal court Sept. 9. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,0000 fine. In exchange for Cook’s plea, prosecutors have agreed not to seek detention, leaving it up to a judge to decide what happens.

The charges stemmed from another Cook enterprise, Abbey Lee Cook and Associates, a campaign compliance entity. Carlson had no idea the wedding planner did campaign work.

Cook did not respond to a call left by Capitolized for this newsletter.

Federal charges against Cook are specific to the embezzlement of $253,000 from a half-dozen political committees and nothing else. However, a common theme of unmet commitments is surfacing in other aspects of the accused’s business dealings.

In reviews of Anchor G posted to The Knot, a popular wedding planning website, former clients talk of paying deposits for wedding services but getting nothing in return. Only in the last couple of months have those reviews been countered by a slate of 5-star ratings.

Cook’s event business, which centered around Helena’s Windsor Ballroom, had left the venue and has been replaced by a pop-up church on Sundays. Anchor G’s business license, per the Montana Secretary of State, was involuntarily canceled last December. The Independent Record reported this week that 2025 East Helena High School prom, which had booked the venue through Cook, had to make other plans.

Once charges related to Cook’s campaign work were filed last week, two Democrats serving in the state Legislature lodged complaints against Cook with Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices. 

Sen. Cora Neumann, D-Bozeman, alleged a breach of contract by Cook for invoices Cook paid late; some vendors threatened to discontinue service for nonpayment. Neumann said in her complaint that the past due payments damaged the reputation of her campaign. Over six months during which the candidate expected Cook to file monthly campaign reports, only two were filed. By August of 2024, Neumann was threatening to call the police if Cook didn’t return $1,600 Cook collected from the campaign without approval. 

Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, laid out the alleged theft of $53,100 by Cook during the candidate’s campaign in the 2024 election cycle.

“I believe Ms. Cook used her position as treasurer of my campaign to intentionally misrepresent donations to my campaign as well as expenditures from my campaign in order to embezzle those funds for her own personal expenses,” Zephyr said in the complaint. “Following my discussions with the FBI, I believe Ms. Cook also intentionally submitted fraudulent statements to the COPP in order to conceal her actions.”