The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office has launched a criminal investigation to determine whether checks distributed to Wyoming lawmakers on the House floor constituted bribery, the agency announced Saturday.
As WyoFile and the Jackson Hole News&Guide first reported, Rebecca Bextel, a Jackson conservative activist, handed out campaign donation checks to several Republican lawmakers on the floor Monday evening following adjournment. A photograph shared with the news organizations captured the exchange.
Bextel initially told a reporter it was “nobody’s business” what she had given lawmakers, but later admitted in a social media post that she hand delivered checks from a separate, then-unidentified Teton County donor. Bextel has denied wrongdoing.
“Community complaints and media reports” prompted the sheriff’s inquiry, the agency said.
“Our community deserves full transparency, and alleged criminal conduct involving our lawmakers deserves no less than a thorough investigation,” Sheriff Brian Kozak said in a statement.
The Teton County donor, Don Grasso, was not identified until Friday, when he told a Jackson Hole News&Guide reporter he’d written checks intended for 10 lawmakers. Grasso said he expected Bextel to mail the checks, and that he “wouldn’t have done it the way that Rebecca did it.” Grasso also said he didn’t believe Bextel had ill intent, but rather a likely need for “expediency.”
The checks spurred significant controversy at the Capitol during the first week of the 2026 budget session. Both the House and the Senate launched separate investigations, and Senate leaders promised a crackdown that could include an outright ban or making it illegal to receive campaign contributions during a legislative session.
Grasso provided a reporter with a list Friday of the 10 lawmakers the checks were intended for: Speaker of the House Chip Neiman, R-Hulett; Reps. John Bear, R-Gillette; Marlene Brady, R-Green River; Gary Brown, R-Cheyenne; Christopher Knapp, R-Gillette; Tony Locke, R-Casper; Darin McCann, R-Rock Springs; Joe Webb, R-Lyman; and Sen. Bob Ide, R-Casper.
All 10 lawmakers are either members, allies or have been previously endorsed by the Freedom Caucus.
A photograph of the exchange, taken by Laramie Democratic Rep. Karlee Provenza and now widely circulated, shows Bextel handing a check to McCann with Brady in the background holding a similar-looking document. McCann confirmed to a reporter Wednesday that Bextel had given him a campaign donation check from another donor. He also said, “No one’s ever told me how to vote. Ever.”
Brady initially told a reporter Wednesday, “I can’t remember,” when asked what Bextel was handing lawmakers. She gave a different but still indefinite answer later that day, telling the same reporter to “figure it out” when asked the identity of the Teton County donor.
Otherwise, it remains unclear which of the named lawmakers received or accepted the checks, including Neiman and Bear, who pushed back when Jackson Democratic Rep. Mike Yin broached the subject Wednesday on the House floor.
Yin brought up the checks as the House debated legislation that would prohibit local governments from imposing fees or conditions on residential or commercial development to fund workforce housing, unmet housing needs or affordable housing — an approach that Bextel vocally opposes. Bear brought the bill, which got the approval of the House Appropriations Committee late Friday night.
Neiman and Bear did not respond to requests for comment Saturday before publication, nor did either lawmaker comment Friday when a reporter first inquired after Grasso named them among the 10 intended recipients. The two are among the most powerful lawmakers in the Wyoming Legislature.
Bear, a leading member of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, said Yin was “making accusations of an individual that cannot be substantiated” when the checks first came up on the House floor.
“And that accusation is offensive to this body,” Bear said on the floor.
Neiman also objected, asking Yin if he could substantiate or verify his claims.
Cody Republican Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, chair of the Freedom Caucus, said Yin made “a defamatory statement” and that distributing checks on the House floor “essentially would be bribery and unethical.”
A person commits bribery, according to state law, if either “he offers, confers or agrees to confer any pecuniary benefit, testimonial, privilege or personal advantage upon a public servant as consideration for the public servant’s vote, exercise of discretion or other action in his official capacity,” or “while a public servant, he solicits, accepts or agrees to accept any pecuniary benefit, testimonial, privilege personal advantage upon an agreement or understanding that his vote, exercise of discretion or other action as a public servant will thereby be influenced.”
Bribery is a felony with a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison, a fine of $5,000 dollars, or both, according to state law.
The Sheriff’s Office said it will keep its inquiry “separate from any internal legislative reviews and will be conducted so as not to impede the session.”
Bextel did not respond to a request for comment by publishing time. Appearing on a podcast Thursday produced by a business partner, Bextel said she handed checks to lawmakers when she saw them — including on the House floor.
It was not done in “the dark of night,” she added.
10 years in Rawlins sounds a bit harsh. Why not deport them instead. Florida?
Wyoming fat cats. literally, receive fat checks would be a more fun title to this story….
Everybody should read the Randy Tucker opinion in the County 10 news site. Great job Randy.
https://county10.com/how-much-to-vote-for-this-bill/
Randy’s integrity has been displayed throughout his years as a teacher, coach, and reporter. Don’t expect the freedumb caucus or their supporters to recognize his words. They don’t know what integrity is.
Having Chip Neiman involved in any way (other than as a defendent) in this supposed investigation would be akin to Richard Nixon presiding in his own Watergate impeachment hearing
Will someone just explain to the Laramie County Sheriff that these Republicans PRAYED for this money? These donors are only doing God’s work, yall.
Dark money sees the light. You get what you pay for; you get whom the majority voted for. Honest, hard-workiing folks in Wyoming have slept through the alarm. Time to wake up.
Follow the money. Not cool folks.
Marlene Brady claimed at first, that she didn’t remember what she was handed. From little old Wyoming up to the President of the United States, this is the “Pants on Fire” administration. Liars all.
And there is you Freedom Caucus caught in action! No longer a question in anyone’s mind.
“Nobody ever told me how to vote”. No really Mr McCann, he paid you to vote his way! Well, it looks like the fake christians are bought and paid for. Of course, most of us know that that’s true, it just wasn’t to blatantly in the open. Never trust a fake christian folks. We have a very corrupt political system in Wyoming, and America. The wealthy are controlling YOU.
Pretty soon I think we’re all going to find out what kind of a leader Chip Nieman is. Or, isn’t.
Wyoming politics has been going downhill every since the freedom caucus arrived in town. I can’t understand why my neighbors in Wyoming either (1) don’t care or (2) don’t pay attention to what’s going on here or in Washington. I prefer to hope that it’s option 2 because this state is full of honest, decent, hard working people who normally wouldn’t tolerate the level of corruption that’s occuring in politics. Nap time is over and it’s time to wake up and vote these kinds of bottom feeders out of state and federal office.
Appears to be a power play on the part of Bexel. Wonder who were the intended victims were of a cheesy stunt?
the situation is getting deep here and perhaps one of the key players shouldn’t be involved in the supposed legislative investigation. the speaker of the house really needs to consider either recusing himself from this process or even resigning his position. the optics are bad, very bad and are only going to get worse if the foxes are continued to be allowed to guard the hen house
Truth and transparency in politics; local, state and federal is fading into the sunset. I find myself amused at the responses of Neiman, Bear, Brady, and Rodriguez-Williams. Had they only known that there was indeed evidence that substantiated Yins claims they might have chosen more carefully their immediate response. But they didn’t and there in is the issue. Morally they chose the low road. Yin was right, the optics are bad, not only about the checks, but about how our elected officials reacted to the allegation.
they unwisely followed the nonFreeDumb circus policy of Lie – Deny – Smear and undoubtedly would continue to do so if they hadn’t of been caught with their pants/skirts down due to the awareness of Ms. Provenza. Kind of reminds of Scooby Dooby Do when the exposed villians would always say “I would’ve of gotten away with it weren’t bin’ for those meddlin’ kids!!!” All of these receipetants of this check gate scandal should resign and Reps Yin and Provenza given special notice and accomodation for their patriotism.
Often it’s the accused that pulls the old “accuse the accuser” or “shoot the messenger” trick. One problem, the “accuser” Rep. Mike Yin was 100% correct and Rep. Provenza sealed the deal by taking photos of this checkgate. So, Unfreedom Circus, you’ve been caught redhanded and what’s even more concerning is the chorus of denial by the likes of Niemen, Bear, Rod.Williams, etc. Rep. Yin was made to look like the bad guy here but actually, the bad guys are running this shit show! Another question begs, who allowed this Bextel lady acess to the floor? Since bribery is a felon, poetic or maybe political justice would have the black hats cuffed and stuff right on the floor. In the very least, what an extremely dismal lack of leadership and either impeachment or resignation should be the next step. Another question, who’s the Black haired Lady with the cheap rabbit fiber cowboy hat accompanying Ms. Bextel? Who let her on the floor?
According to a very recent online interview with Karlee Provenza, Cody representative Nina Webber brought this Bechtel character onto the house floor and escorted the check giver around. What is wrong with those Cody and Powell area reps and senators?
Cody and Powell. Says it all.