Wyoming House and Sheriff Launch Investigations After Campaign Checks Handed on Floor

A photograph taken by Rep. Karlee Provenza showing Rebecca Bextel handing a campaign check to Rep. Darin McCann on the northwest corner of the Wyoming House floor after adjournment on the first day of the 2026 session set off a chain of actions that included a unanimous Feb. 12 House vote to form a bipartisan investigative committee and an independent criminal probe by the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office.

The motion that created the special committee gave Speaker Chip Neiman responsibility to appoint six members and one chairman, and Neiman named Rep. Art Washut of Casper to lead the panel. The committee convened hearings on a Thursday where Provenza testified, presented the photo she took, said she had shared it with the chief clerk and consulted Legislative Service Office staff and Rep. Liz Storer, then stood and immediately left the room after her testimony.

Security footage shown to the committee identified Rebecca Bextel alongside Reps. Christopher Knapp and Ruben Tarver of Gillette and Rep. Scott Heiner of Green River gathered in the northwest corner of the chamber after adjournment; the footage indicated Bextel handed something to Knapp. Rep. Justin Fornstrom questioned Provenza at the hearing about her location and what she heard on the first night; Provenza said she was on the floor but declined to comment on audible conversations.

Speaker Neiman has acknowledged accepting a check from Bextel but said he did not accept it on the House floor. Neiman told colleagues, “That’s what happened. Those are the facts,” and added, “And do you understand the difficulty I’m in? Because now I’m charged because of that motion, as speaker, I had to pick the committee to investigate me.” Rep. John Bear likewise has said he accepted a check but not on the House floor, and Chair Washut limited invitations to testify to those who the committee’s floor-focused motion covered.

Donor questions have followed the initial images. Don Grasso of Teton County said he wrote checks for Bextel to deliver to 10 Freedom caucus-aligned politicians and that the checks were intended as campaign contributions not tied to specific legislation. It remains unclear how many checks were ultimately delivered and which were deposited, though reporting has identified Speaker Neiman and John Bear among recipients.

Both chambers moved swiftly on rules in response to the controversy. The House and Senate passed measures banning offering or accepting campaign contributions anywhere during regular and special sessions, and they also banned campaign contributions year-round in the Capitol and in locations under legislative leadership such as committee meetings across the state. Governor Mark Gordon implemented similar restrictions for the executive branch.

The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office is independently conducting a criminal investigation; no criminal charges have been reported. County 17 reported Feb. 25, 2026 that the House committee was set to

Key open questions remain for Albany County voters and state ethics officials: exactly how many checks were written and delivered, the dollar amounts involved, whether campaign finance filings were amended, and what the sheriff’s office discovers as its probe continues. The legislative committee’s narrow floor-focused remit will determine which lawmakers face formal questioning in the coming weeks.