An eastern Wyoming clerk under fire for her actions during the November 2024 election pleaded not guilty Friday to failing to appear at a legislative hearing where she had been subpoenaed to testify.
Weston County Clerk Becky Jo Hadlock entered her plea during a brief appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court. Her attorney, Ryan Semerad, told the court his client wanted a trial.
Hadlock faces a single misdemeanor charge accusing her of defying a legislative subpoena that required her to testify before a panel investigating her office in connection with errors that occurred during the November 2024 election. She faces up to six months in jail and a $100 fine if convicted.
Circuit Judge Cynthia K. Sweet set a $500 personal recognizance bond for Hadlock, meaning the defendant won’t have to put up any money to remain free as long as she makes future court appearances.
Hadlock sat beside Semerad for the five-minute hearing. She spoke only to enter her plea and answer procedural questions from Sweet.
Court records show a handful of lawmakers spoke with authorities during the criminal investigation surrounding Hadlock. But a reporter did not see any legislators in attendance at Friday’s hearing.
The criminal case comes amid growing scrutiny of Wyoming’s elections system. Republican lawmakers filed 45 election bills during the last legislative session — a striking number for one topic in a single year. Hadlock’s actions have fueled calls for additional legislation, including to move Wyoming to a hand-count voting system.
Election errors
State lawmakers and other officials began to scrutinize Hadlock’s actions soon after errors in the November 2024 election resulted in a dramatic undercount of votes for Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, in last year’s general election. Neiman was the majority floor leader at the time and is now the House speaker.
Hadlock, it was later learned, had printed out three versions of the ballot because of errors on the first two. That itself wasn’t a problem — clerks sometimes reprint ballots to correct misprints and other errors. But the clerk’s office gave some voters the incorrect first and second versions, which resulted in tabulators miscounting votes for Neiman, who was running unopposed for House District 1, and a county commission race.
The result showed Neiman initially receiving only 166 votes, with another 1,289 voters leaving that race blank — what’s known as an undervote.
Secretary of State Chuck Gray, Wyoming’s top elections official, noticed the error and tried to contact Hadlock on election night. When she didn’t answer, he sent sheriff’s deputies to her home.
Multiple investigations ensued. After his inquiry, Gray recommended Hadlock’s removal from office. Gov. Mark Godon came to a different conclusion. He decided that Hadlock made serious mistakes, but those errors did not amount to misconduct and malfeasance — the level needed to seek her removal from office. Gordon also stressed the serious nature of recommending the removal of a lawfully elected county official, writing that “the decision of who should fill a county office is best made by the people of Weston County in the next election just a little over a year away.”
The Wyoming Legislature also launched its own examination, forming a subcommittee to do that work. The Weston County Clerk 2024 General Election Subcommittee met Sept. 29 in Casper to continue its investigation.
Hadlock had been served with the subpoena on Sept. 23, according to a sworn statement by a Natrona County sheriff’s investigator. She emailed lawmakers two days later, informing them she would not attend due to a scheduling conflict.
The clerk later told the sheriff’s investigator that while she did receive a subpoena, she had personal business in Gillette on the day of the hearing. Specifically, she and her mother both had doctors appointments scheduled for that date.
That decision contributed to a new inquiry by the governor’s office into Hadlock’s actions. Last month, Gordon announced he’d received two additional complaints against the embattled clerk. One accused her of filing a false post-election audit following the 2024 general election. A second referenced her refusal to testify despite the subpoena.
After that investigation is complete, Gordon will decide whether to recommend that a court remove Hadlock from office. The governor cannot unilaterally remove her.
The only one that needs removed from office is Chuck Grey and these so called Christian freedom caucus members bearing false witness against anyone not in their pier group.