Wanda Baucus Last to Know About Max Baucus Melodee Hanes, Divorce

by Amy Judd | December 11, 2009 at 01:29 pm

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Wanda Baucus, the former wife of Senator Max Baucus was probably the last person to know that her husband wanted a divorce so that he could be with his now live-in girlfriend Melodee Hanes. It has now come to light that the Senator and Melodee Hanes met at least twice with a divorce attorney about eight months before Max Baucus even separated from Wanda Baucus.

Wanda Baucus was even a member of her husband's staff, but it appears that Melodee Hanes was planning her and the senator's life together before they had even separated. Senator Baucus has admitted to the press that he was in a relationship with Hanes before him and his wife broke up.

There was talk that Melodee Hanes was nominated for the US Attorney's Office for Montana by Senator Baucus while still his girlfriend, but she withdrew her nomination and now works at the Justice Department.

The discussions with the divorce attorney took place in 2007, but Wanda baucus said she knew nothing about them.

Wanda Baucus told the newspaper she knew nothing about those discussions in 2007, and she said she and her husband had not discussed divorce at the time.

"Ending a 25-year marriage is a serious undertaking that should be discussed first within the family," she told the newspaper. "There's no justification for the staff being involved in such private matters."

Ty Matsdorf, a spokesman for Senator Baucus said that Melodee Hanes was working with the Senator in her official capacity:

"Melodee Hanes' interactions were in her official role as state director and focused on scheduling and logistics, including how a potential separation between Sen. Baucus and (his ex-wife) Wanda could impact the senator's travel and work," Matsdorf said in a written statement.