Republican gubernatorial candidate Roy Brown demanded Monday that Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer apologize for what he called "a clear and intentional lie" over an interstate compact on brucellosis.

Citing an Associated Press story Saturday, Brown said Schweitzer was caught in a red-handed lie.

The AP reported that Schweitzer said he hadn't signed a revised interstate compact with the governors of Wyoming and Idaho to address brucellosis when, in fact, he had.

Schweitzer signed the agreement on June 27, but told the AP on July 2 that he hadn't. He didn't publicly disclose that he signed it for nearly a month later.

"I consider something signed when I release it," Schweitzer told the AP. "I am often in a position where I'm going to be gone and I tell my staff I will sign something and to keep it in a drawer until I call. Until I release it, I'm not acknowledging anything."

Brown saw it differently.

"This is beyond offensive, and it's a sad day for the people of Montana," said Brown, a state senator from Billings. "Montanans deserve openness and honesty from their public officials, and it's unfortunate that Governor Schweitzer believes that such blatant lies are acceptable in the course of conducting public business."

Brown said actions like these erode public confidence in their elected officials and urged Schweitzer to reveal what other important documents he's hiding in his desk drawer.

In response, Schweitzer's campaign manager Harper Lawson reiterated Schweitzer's comments that he considers something signed when he releases it.

Schweitzer released it July 18 with his letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, Lawson said. Schweitzer chose not to release the letter previously because he wanted to talk with Govs. Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming and C.L. "Butch" Otter of Idaho about the issue.

"Mr. Brown is getting so desperate in this campaign that he has now resorted to calling the governor a liar," Lawson said.

"That kind of silly, juvenile name calling is a sad sign of how the Brown campaign intends to conduct itself between now and Election Day," he added.

The AP said Friday that the proposed three-state compact to manage and someday eradicate brucellosis is stalled.