Controversy has engulfed Wyoming’s state legislature after a conservative activist was photographed handing checks to Republican lawmakers on the state house floor, in an incident that has highlighted intra-conservative divisions and the role of money in the Cowboy state’s politics.

The political storm started on 9 February, when Karlee Provenza, a Democratic lawmaker, took a photo showing Rebecca Bextel, a conservative activist and committeewoman for the Teton county Republican party, handing a check to Darin McCann, a Republican representative, on the legislative floor. Marlene Brady, another Republican representative, stands in the photo’s background, a similar piece of paper pinched between her fingers.

“You have a person from the richest county in the country coming down to Cheyenne to hand out checks on the house floor,” Provenza said. “I have never seen something so egregious.”

Questions around the checks were soon swirling, and answers weren’t forthcoming. When asked what Bextel gave to her, Brady told a reporter for local outlet WyoFile: “I can’t remember.”

Then Bextel herself addressed the incident. “I raised $400,000 in the last election cycle for conservative candidates, and I will be doubling that amount this year,” Bextel wrote on Facebook on 11 February. “There’s nothing wrong with delivering lawful campaign checks from Teton county donors when I am in Cheyenne.”

Since then, it has emerged that the checks came from Don Grasso, a wealthy Teton county donor, who told the Jackson Hole News and Guide that he wrote the checks for Bextel to deliver to 10 Freedom caucus-aligned politicians. Grasso said the checks were intended as campaign contributions, and were not tied to specific legislation. It is unclear how many checks were ultimately delivered, but two of four confirmed recipients include the speaker of the house, Chip Neiman, and John Bear, the former head of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.

The Wyoming house has formed a legislative investigative committee, and the Laramie county sheriff’s office said they’d open a criminal investigation.

Bextel declined to answer questions from the Guardian. Brady, McCann and Bear did not respond to requests for comment.

Neiman said he considered the criticism a “wraparound smear campaign”. He said: “It never once crossed my mind that this was bribery.

“These legislators, myself included, are now guilty until we can prove that we’re innocent. How is that right in this country? Isn’t that a little bit backwards?”

The scandal has highlighted long-standing divisions in Wyoming’s Republican party, which in recent years has seen a growing divide between old school, more moderate conservatives and a harder-right Freedom Caucus.

Several former Republican lawmakers forcefully condemned their colleagues for accepting the checks, and a local Republican party branch called for the lawmakers’ resignations.

Ogden Driskill, a Wyoming Republican senator, told the Guardian he does not consider Bextel’s actions to be illegal, but that “just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should”.

Bextel has spent years pushing against housing mitigation fees in Wyoming, and Driskill noted that she distributed the house floor checks just days before a bill she had publicly supported was set to be heard. Bextel was registered as a member of the press, not as a lobbyist when she delivered the checks.

“Ethically and morally, it’s bankrupt to a massive degree,” Driskill said.

Neiman said that he and other legislators who received checks have supported similar bills in the past: “Bribery is paying somebody to do something they would not otherwise do.”

Nationally, the 2024 election cycle saw record-spending from the mega-wealthy, as well as dark money groups. Wyoming followed the trend, in a tense red-on-red primary season.

For those gearing up to campaign this year, Teton county, the richest in the US, and Bextel’s picturesque home turf, is an essential stop. Its extreme wealth gives it a foothold on the national level as well. Palantir chief executive Alex Karp and Donald Trump attended an annual Republican leadership fundraiser at Jackson Hole in 2024, and JD Vance attended the same one in 2025.

Bextel pulls dollars from Teton county into the Freedom Caucus side of Wyoming’s conservative split. She hosted no-press-allowed meet and greets earlier this year benefitting leading candidates for Wyoming’s governor and open US House seat.

In an interview with the Open Range Record, a media network she co-founded, Bextel said controversy around the checks was solely because she was making “even playing field” in Wyoming against the state’s more moderate Republicans, who she calls “George Soros” candidates. She said that she will be sure to keep raising money – just away from the legislative floor.

“I guess I’m gonna ask all the gentlemen and gentleladies to step outside the Capitol while I hand them a check,” Bextel said. “Let me be clear: I’m doubling down.”

But it’s not just wealthy local donors putting their weight behind the factions. Last election cycle, out of state groups spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on anonymous and often inaccurate mailers.

“These actors, especially from the far right, they like to push the bounds of the norms,” said Rosa Reyna Pugh, an organizing and advocacy consultant at Western States Center, an Oregon-based non-profit focused on democracy in the western United States. “They like to see what policies they can kind of push, and see where they can play a piece,” Reyna Pugh said.

While Neiman and Driskill fight politically, they do agree on one thing: summer will bring an expensive and brutal campaign season.

“You’re going to see more dark money than you’ve ever seen. We’ve done absolutely nothing to enforce it. Our secretary of state has not even made a slight attempt to deal with it,” Driskill said. “You’re going to see lots and lots of outside money and I think you’re seeing it on both sides.”

As national questions swirl around pay-to-play politics and profiteering in the Trump administration, Provenza wants better for the Cowboy State.

“We should not be aligning ourselves with how the federal government is conducting itself or how federal elections conduct themselves,” Provenza said. “We owe something far better and more honest to the people of Wyoming than that.”

A Sublette County man who captured and brought an injured wolf into a bar in February 2024 has struck a deal with prosecutors that could keep him out of jail, reports WyoFile.

A signed plea agreement filed with the Sublette County District Court and acquired by WyoFile on Wednesday afternoon means that Cody Roberts, 44, would likely no longer face trial. It had been set to begin March 9.

Under the deal, Roberts withdraws his earlier not guilty plea and changes that plea to guilty or no contest for felony cruelty to animals.

The deal calls for a prison sentence of 18 months to two years that would be suspended in favor of 18 months of supervised probation and a $1,000 fine. Additionally, agreed-upon conditions of his probation include: no hunting or fishing; no alcohol, presence at bars or liquor stores; and a requirement that Roberts follow recommended addiction treatment.

As part of the deal, the parties are asking that a “pre-sentence investigation report” be ordered by the court.

Roberts allegedly acquired a wolf by striking it with a snowmobile, leaving it “barely conscious” on Feb. 29, 2024. Photos and video from that night showed him posing for pictures with the animal and even kissing it. The wolf’s behavior suggests that it was gravely injured, according to biologists who’ve reviewed video of the muzzled animal while it was prone and barely moving on the floor of the Green River Bar.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department initially handled the incident, issuing Roberts a $250 fine for possession of warm-blooded wildlife. The state agency declined to seek stiffer penalties or jail time, and Game and Fish officials maintained that predatory animals, including wolves, were exempted from felony animal cruelty laws.

Sublette County law enforcement officials disagreed. In August, prosecutor Clayton Melinkovich convened a grand jury that indicted Roberts for felony animal cruelty. That crime could have put Roberts in jail for up to two years, though his plea agreement averts mandatory time behind bars as long as he successfully completes probation.

WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.

If it feels like you just read about the regional high school wrestling tournaments in Wyoming, it’s because you did. 

Those events took place last weekend, and after a quick turnaround, it already is time for the 2026 Wyoming High School Activities Association State Wrestling Championships.

The exciting final tournament will take place Feb. 26-28 at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming. 

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see who advanced to the state meet, you can catch all the regional matches in the FloWrestling archives.

Then, you can tune in to FloWrestling or the FloSports app for wire-to-wire live coverage of the 2026 Wyoming State Wrestling Championships.

Boys wrestling in Wyoming is split into three classifications (4A, 3A, 2A), while the girls only have one (4A), and each class held two regional events last weekend, East and West.

The classifications are organized by enrollment: 4A (700 and above); 3A (210-699); 2A (209 and below).

For regional competition, each school was allowed to enter two wrestlers per weight class. From each regional event, eight competitors per weight class advanced to the state tournament.

If there were less than eight wrestlers at any weight, it was possible to take more than eight from a different region to reach the 16 entries needed for each weight class at the state meet. 

As you get ready to watch the final leg of the season and see who takes home the titles at the 2026 WHSAA Girls and Boys State Wrestling Championships, here’s everything you need to know, including a links to the brackets:

What Are The Weight Classes For High School Wrestling In Wyoming?

In Pounds

• Boys: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215, 285
• Girls: 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 155, 170, 190, 235

2026 WHSAA State Wrestling Championships Brackets

Here’s where you’ll be able to find the brackets for the 2026 WHSAA State Wrestling Championships: 

How To Watch The 2026 WHSAA State Wrestling Championships

Live coverage of the 2026 WHSAA State Wrestling Championships on Feb. 26-28 will be broadcast on FloWrestling and the FloSports app, with news, notes, stats and more available on both platforms.

Archives will be available immediately following the conclusion of each match.

If you’re going to be in the area and want to catch the action in person, check out this page for spectator and ticket information:

2026 WHSAA State Wrestling Championships Schedule

Here’s a look at when everything is going down in Wyoming:

All Times Mountain

Thursday, Feb. 26

• 8:30 a.m. – Doors open for teams
• 10 a.m. – Weigh-ins
• 10:45 a.m. – Coaches’ meeting
• 11:55 a.m. – National anthem
• Noon-4 p.m. – Round 1 (eight mats)
• 4-4:30 p.m. – Dinner break
• 4:30-7:30 p.m. – Championship Quarterfinals (eight mats)

Friday, Feb. 27

• 7:30 a.m. – Doors open for teams
• 9 a.m. – Weigh-ins
• 10:25 a.m. – National anthem
• 10:30 a.m.-12:50 p.m. – Round 1 Wrestlebacks (eight mats)
• 12:50-1:20 p.m. – Lunch break
• 1:20-5 p.m. – Round 2 Wrestlebacks/Round 3 Wrestlebacks (eight mats)
• 5-5:40 p.m. – Dinner break
• 5:40-8 p.m. – March of returning state champions/national anthem/Championship Semifinals (eight mats)

Saturday, Feb. 28

• 7:30 a.m. – Doors open for teams
• 9 a.m. – Weigh-ins
• 10:25 a.m. – National anthem
• 10:30 a.m.-1:40 p.m. – Consolation Semifinals; Third- and Fifth-Place matches (eight mats)
• 1:40-2:20 p.m. – Lunch break
• 2:20-5:30 p.m. – Championship Faceoff/national anthem/Championship Finals (four mats)

Individual awards will be presented to each weight’s top six finishers in each classification immediately following the championship matches, beginning at 105 for girls and 113 for boys.  

Team trophies will be presented at the conclusion to the top four places in each classification.   

The order of the team awards presentation will be as follows: Girls (fourth to first), 2A (fourth to first), 3A (fourth to first), 4A (fourth to first).

Learn More About The 2026 WHSAA Regional Wrestling Tournaments 

FloWrestling had complete coverage of many of the recent WHSAA regional wrestling events. 

Of the eight events, here’s a list of what aired on FloWrestling this week, along with the locations:

What Teams Won At The 2025 Wyoming State Wrestling Championships?

• Girls – Star Valley
• 4A Boys – Thunder Basin
• 3A Boys – Powell 
• 2A Boys – Moorcroft

Read more: 2025 WHSAA Wyoming State Wrestling Championship Results And Brackets

2025-2026 FloWrestling High School Wrestling Rankings

Top 20 as of Feb. 18, 2026

Curious about how the top wrestlers from each state stack up against competitors from across the country?

Click here to see the latest high school rankings from FloWrestling.

Did You Know: Wyoming Was Among The Last States To Add Girls Wrestling

The WHSAA finally sanctioned wrestling for girls in time for the 2022-2023 season.

Wyoming and Iowa were the last states west of the Mississippi River to do so, and prior to the change, girls in Wyoming had to join the boys team to be involved. 

Iowa, through the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, sanctioned wrestling for the first time during the 2022-2023 school year, too. 

Women’s Wrestling Weekly: The Show (Ep. 68)

We’re talking about the field for the inaugural NCAA Women’s Freestyle Championships.

Trackwrestling Has Joined The New FloWrestling

Trackwrestling officially has merged with FloWrestling, bringing its powerful tournament tracking tools and live data into a modern, all-in-one platform. 

Fans can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles—all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling.

This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community. Through the updated FloSports app, users can track live results, explore brackets and even sign up for free alerts so they never miss a match.

FloWrestling Archived Footage

Video footage from all events on FloWrestling will be archived and stored in a video library for FloWrestling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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