Message to the Office of the President

Sent on March 31, 2025

Dear Mr. President,

I write to you on behalf of a fellow citizen, Glen Eaton, whose 30-year journey through the Montana legal and labor system reveals a systemic failure that has caused irreversible harm—not only to him, but to public faith in the very institutions designed to protect working Americans.

In November 1993, Glen suffered a catastrophic lumbar disc injury while working for an employer who was operating illegally—without workers’ compensation coverage. Despite this being a direct violation of Montana labor law (MCA § 39-71-504), Glen was never compensated. When he reported the injury and the employer’s status to the state, no meaningful enforcement occurred.

Worse still, when he turned to legal representation, his attorney—Gary Seaman—knowingly withheld and destroyed original medical records necessary for Glen’s claim. This legal malpractice directly obstructed his path to justice. Gary Seaman was later convicted of murder in an unrelated matter and is now incarcerated. Glen's evidence was never recovered. No one was held accountable.

In the aftermath, Glen was forced to survive on extremely low wages and, later, suffered a physical collapse while working in a steel fabrication shop. He was diagnosed with an L5-S1 herniation requiring surgery and spinal fusion. Between 2007 and 2013, Glen became dependent on opioid medication as a direct consequence of the untreated workplace injury—another layer of the ongoing damage.

He contacted the Uninsured Employers’ Fund (UEF), a Montana program intended to protect workers in this exact situation, only to be told that “no funds were available.” Bernadette Rice, representing the UEF at the time, admitted this in a telephone conversation. Glen was denied assistance from a fund that exists by law.

When Glen continued pursuing his claim, the same state employee filed a retaliatory police report against him, alleging that she felt “threatened.” Police interviewed her and confirmed that Glen had made no threats. No arrest was made—but the message was clear: if you pursue your rights too forcefully, the system will try to paint you as a danger.

Glen filed a formal complaint with the Montana Department of Labor and contacted multiple state and federal offices over the years. He reached out to Congressman Dennis Rehberg’s office, where a staff member ominously told him, “Don’t go to the feds with this one.” He also contacted then-Representative Ryan Zinke, who acknowledged the case but declined to act without a second witness.

Recently, as Glen and I—Dustin Shappee—compiled all related materials into a formal case summary and began resubmitting it to over a dozen government agencies, we received only one substantive reply: the Montana Attorney General’s office said they cannot help and suggested finding another attorney. But Glen already had an attorney. That man destroyed his case and is now a convicted murderer.

This is no longer about a private grievance. It is about:

• The destruction of state-submitted evidence
• Retaliation by public employees
• Suppression of rightful compensation
• Ongoing psychological and physical harm
• a clear refusal of multiple agencies to act

We sent our summary package and request for investigation to your email inbox at the time when public emails were accepted. Now, with only this form remaining, I reiterate the call: please assign a federal oversight office to review the Glen Eaton case, or direct us to the appropriate channel. We are fully prepared to submit the entire documented file again, along with signed statements, medical documentation, and audio evidence.

If no one in Montana will enforce the law, then we must ask: Does justice only apply to those who can afford it—or does it apply to every citizen, even the poor, injured, and forgotten?

We believe the answer still matters.

Sincerely,
Dustin Michael Shappee
Advocate for Glen Eaton
(Previously submitted via email on March 28, 2025)

Clarification Follow-Up

Sent on April 30, 2025

Mr. President,

In a prior communication to your office on behalf of Glen Eaton and the Glen Eaton Justice Project, I mistakenly stated that trial attorney Gary Seaman destroyed Mr. Eaton's evidence. Upon further review, I now understand that this assertion was made in error.

The accurate and verified claim is that Mr. Seaman withheld critical medical records pertaining to Mr. Eaton's worker's compensation case.

We are issuing this correction in good faith and have taken steps to revise all published materials where this error appeared to ensure factual accuracy and integrity in our statements.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Dustin Michael Shappee
Advocate for Glen Eaton