Editor's note
This story is part of an ongoing collaboration between WyoFile and the Jackson Hole News&Guide.
CHEYENNE—The Wyoming House of Representatives voted Thursday to investigate a Monday night incident that involved a conservative activist handing out campaign donation checks to lawmakers on the House floor.
The House voted 61-0, with one lawmaker excused, to form a special committee to investigate the incident. The unanimous vote in the normally heavily divided body illustrates how much the incident has reverberated throughout the Wyoming Capitol and beyond in less than 24 hours.
Rebecca Bextel, a Jackson resident who unsuccessfully sought the top leadership spot of the Wyoming Republican Party last year, admitted Wednesday in a social media post to handing out checks from a separate Teton County donor on the House floor. Bextel said there was no wrongdoing in “delivering lawful campaign checks from Teton County donors when I am in Cheyenne.”
Rep. Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, brought the motion Thursday after Bextel acknowledged Wednesday that she had delivered the checks on behalf of an unnamed Teton County donor. Bextel had earlier told a reporter “it’s nobody’s business” when asked about what she had given lawmakers.
As first reported Wednesday by WyoFile and the Jackson Hole News&Guide, interviews, a photograph taken by Provenza and security footage also substantiated Bextel’s actions. Lawmakers referenced the reporting throughout their discussion Thursday.
The exchange of money occurred Monday night, but lawmakers did not publicly broach the subject until Wednesday when Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson, raised concerns about the checks during a debate on a bill that Bextel supports.
Yin did not name Bextel in his floor remarks, but said he was concerned with the “optics” of lawmakers accepting the checks two days ahead of deciding on such legislation.
Wyoming Freedom Caucus members called the allegations “unsubstantiated” before asking the House to register a “protest” against Yin. Cody Republican Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, chair of the caucus, said if checks were handed out, it “essentially would be bribery and unethical.” She also accused Yin of making “a defamatory statement.”
As written, Provenza’s motion would convene a special committee to investigate whether checks were provided to House members and whether that action is violation of the Wyoming Constitution, or if it constitutes legislative misconduct.
“The special committee would investigate all relevant facts about this matter, hold public hearings and issue a public report to the House of Representatives,” the motion states.
“This incident calls into question the ethics and impartiality of members,” Provenza said Thursday. “I believe the integrity of the House requires that we investigate this incident and disclose all relevant facts about that incident to all members of the House and to all of Wyoming.”
The House debated Provenza’s motion for about 45 minutes before Rep. Daniel Singh, R-Cheyenne brought a successful motion to briefly table the measure as to allow for amendments to be drafted.
An hour later, the body debated two amendments. Both failed.
Singh brought the first amendment, which would have broadened the special committee’s purview to include reviewing potential revisions to the state’s public record laws. Rodriguez-Williams brought the second. That amendment would have called on the committee to determine “whether there was a security breach.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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Suspiciously as it happened Bear, Rodreguiz and Neiman pounced on Yin like he was the one that had done something wrong. Sorta like a cat burying another cat’s turd. Nothing to see here! As has been said, Follow the money!
No matter the outcome of the inquiry, the optics of the act reek of lack of ethics and integrity.