Daily Smile

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Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>Daily Smile: Sunday, March 5, 2023 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Now let's all watch a baby eat food...

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 5, 2023

Mac Watson

Daily Video News

It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Thursday, July 31st.  I’m Mac Watson.

This newscast is brought to you by the Wyoming State Fair. Wrap up your summer at the Wyoming State Fair, August 11th through the 15th in Douglas!

Rodeo, Demolition Derby, live music, entertainment and fair food await. Learn more at W-Y State Fair dot com. See you at the fair! This ad was paid for by Converse County Tourism.

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After taking in a friend's baby, a Casper foster mom says her family became the target of anonymous threats by the biological mother. Cowboy State Daily’s Kolby Fedore reports that the bio-mom is charged with two stalking felonies. 

“Investigators allege that 27-year-old Daji Carter used fake messaging apps, social media accounts, and more to reach out to a foster mom while she had custody of her biological son. When the infant was first placed in Monroe's care, she received an anonymous message that said, "You're going to die" with a knife emoji and blood. Monroe quickly took us to the police, and an investigation was able to link it back to Dodgy Carter. The threats continued for several weeks, even after protection orders were put in place.”

Carter was bound over to district court Tuesday after a preliminary hearing on two felony counts of stalking and two misdemeanor counts of violating a stalking protection order. She posted a $3,500 surety bond July 15 and was released from custody. 

U.S. House candidate Steve Friess received 19 endorsements Thursday by Republican lawmakers, former legislators, and others. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that Chuck Gray calls them “a tired class of political 1% insiders.”

“Steve Friess, who's running for U.S. House, garnered 19 endorsements this week, including from former Republican Governor Jim Garinger, a host of Republican lawmakers, former lawmakers, oil and gas industry leaders, Secretary of State Chuck Gray fired back by calling them a class of insiders, essentially, who are in favor of woke wind and data center projects. That may come as a surprise to some of them. For example, Dan Docksteder, who was among the endorsers, was one of the very few votes against big tax exemptions for data centers.”

Gray has come out against data centers, while Friess has said state and county governments – not Congress – should lead data center permitting decisions in ways that protect Wyomingites. Both men tout a pro-traditional-energy stance.

Another 10 illegal drivers were busted in Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak’s latest Truck Around and Find Out operation this week. Cowboy State Daily’s Greg Johnson reports that includes one speeding with what looked like emergency lights. 

“The last truck around campaign that they did, they arrested 46. Since they started this back in November, there's almost 130 illegal drivers have been taken off the road. But Kozak said that really it's not about. Although that gets the headlines, it's not about just going out and rounding up illegal drivers. It's about unsafe truck driving, and people who are illegal and don't have licenses are unsafe. Kozak also said that he knows the ‘Truck Around and Find Out’ campaign is going to get criticism. It's going to be politicized, and he says he's expected that, and that has happened.”

Overall, this week’s Truck Around and Find Out resulted in about 120 traffic stops, with 40 tickets issued to drivers and 10 arrested for being in the country illegally, said Sheriff Kozak and Chief Deputy Chance Walkama.

A suspended Newcastle police sergeant pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges alleging a yearlong pattern of abuse toward a woman. Cowboy State Daily’s Kolby Fedore reports that he faces up to 27 1/2 years in prison.

“On Thursday, a suspended Newcastle police sergeant pled not guilty to six criminal charges. Prosecutors say that 36-year-old Nicholas Kaminsky, in uniform, terrorized an ex-girlfriend. He used a police cruiser, a canine, and allegedly a knife.  Kaminsky posted a $35,000 cash bond weeks ago. His next court appearance will be for a trial unless they come to a plea agreement before then.”

During the hearing, defense attorney Ryan Titus told the court Kaminski had found new employment that requires travel. He asked the judge to modify Kaminski's bond conditions to allow him to leave the Sixth Judicial District for work. Crook County attorney DaNece Day did not object, telling the court it was important Kaminski remain employed.

I’ll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this.

Cowboy State Daily News continues now….

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A federal judge has OK'd a class-action price-fixing lawsuit against the nation’s four largest meatpackers. Cowboy State Daily’s Kate Meadows reports that Crook County rancher Tyler Lindholm says, “The packers have controlled the destiny of beef for decades, but people are starting to push back.”

“A whole group of people is listed in this class action lawsuit that alleges that the four big meat packers in the U.S. price fixed beef during a five-year time span 2015 through 2020. They allege that these meat packers conspired to manipulate prices, so they bought low from producers and then sold high to grocers and consumers. That's the allegation. Crook County Rancher Tyler Lindholm said it is absolutely up to Congress to fix this. That the government needs to get involved. He said, "What is allowing these big four to capture so much business under one umbrella? He said, "Congress needs to go break the back of these packers.”

Currently, four companies control more than 80% of the U.S-fed cattle processing market, giving them wide influence over cattle prices and the nation's beef supply.

Wyoming legislators have advanced a “Band-Aid” to food freedom laws that led to shutting down Hippie Cow Creamery in Cody over selling raw milk lattes. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that one lawmaker says, “I’m under no illusion we’re going to fix this overnight.”

“Senator Bob Ide had said that he's under no illusion they're going to fix the Food Freedom Act overnight. He called this stopgap measure a band aid. What it does or proposes to do if it passes is to have the director of the Department of Agriculture have an exemption privilege to where he could exempt certain people from the Food Freedom Act, so they can sell their wares at a non-designated location. Senator Barry Craigel worried, like, is this giving false hope?”

The bill seeks to give the director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture the discretion to give one exemption each, for home food sellers wanting to sell products outside the designated food-freedom sale sites already in law.  

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Cheyenne native Alan O’Hashi vividly remembers being caught in the canyon when the Big Thompson Flood, the deadliest flood in Colorado history, hit on July 31, 1976. Cowboy State Daily’s Executive Editor Jimmy Orr reports that O’Hashi survived when a floating portable toilet snagged his car and carried it to safety.

“It's a spooky story because as he's driving up the canyon, he's the only one driving up, and he sees a ton of cars driving down in quickly, and he had no idea what happened. Well, a dam burst, and it's the deadliest flood in Colorado history. And Alan Ohashi, the star of the story, is doomed. This wall of water comes down, and it's a it's about to whisk him, off the mountain, when a portable toilet is floating by, floating by, and knocks him into the canyon wall somehow, and and he survives. He shouldn't have survived, and he says that he should not have survived.”

As a young college student working as a graduate assistant at the University of Wyoming in 1976, Alan O’Hashi had landed a plum summer job along with his university gig. He was a ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park. A Cheyenne native, O’Hashi, now 73 and living in Boulder, Colorado. The flood killed 144 people and cost 30 to 40 million dollars in damage.

Just because a Douglas man facing 72 child sex and pornography-related charges was a no-show for his arraignment hearing on Tuesday doesn’t necessarily mean whoever put up $250,000 cash to bond him out of jail will lose all that money. Cowboy State Daily’s Greg Johnson reports according to Wyoming law, Converse County could benefit.

“When all is said and done with this bond money, whether it's just deemed to be forfeit, whatever is left over, what happens to it is it goes to local schools. That's according to Wyoming law. It will go to the Converse County Treasurer's office for them to put in that county school fund. So the answer to what happens at $250,000 ultimately, whatever isn't eaten up in court costs, fines, anything like that, goes to schools.”

Smallbone also could be ordered to pay for the costs of the Converse County Sheriff’s Office to go get him from San Francisco, where he was 

, four hours after he missed his court hearing.

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And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on 

 - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our 

 channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app.  Thanks for watching - I’m Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

News image 7 31 26

<title>Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Friday, July 31, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Friday's headlines include:
* Kozak Busts 10 More Illegal Drivers
* Price-Fixing Lawsuit Against Big-4 Meatpackers
* Foster Parent Says She Was Terrorized By Bio Mom

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Friday, July 31, 2026

Coy Knobel

Don Day Weather

Mostly sunny in much of Wyoming on Friday with a chance of afternoon rain, smoky in some areas. Partly cloudy overnight. Highs in the 80s and 90s. Lows mainly in the 50s and low 60s.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "}]

Areas of smoke, chance of rain mainly after 4 p.m., otherwise sunny and breezy today with a high near 92 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Breezy, gradually becoming clear overnight with a low near 58 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

Patchy smoke, slight chance of rain after 2 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 90 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly clear overnight with a low near 59.

  Areas of smoke, sunny today with a high near 88 and partly cloudy and breezy overnight with a low near 54 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

 Sunny today with a high near 88 and mostly clear overnight with a low near 50.

  Patchy smoke, sunny today with a high near 91 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 55.

Patchy smoke, slight chance of rain after 5 p.m., increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 82 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph. Mostly clear and breezy overnight with a low near 56 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

 Patchy smoke, slight chance of rain after 3 p.m., increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 84 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Mostly clear overnight with a low near 49.

 Patchy smoke, slight chance of rain after 3 p.m., increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 89 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph. Mostly clear overnight with a low near 51.

  Patchy smoke, slight chance of rain after 2 p.m., otherwise sunny and breezy today with a high near 85 and wind gusts as high as 29 mph. Mostly clear overnight with a low near 49.

 Patchy smoke, slight chance of rain after 2 p.m., otherwise sunny and breezy today with a high near 83 and wind gusts as high as 22 mph. Mostly clear and breezy overnight with a low near 50 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

  Patchy smoke, slight chance of rain after 3 p.m., otherwise sunny today with a high near 89 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly clear overnight with a low near 50.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park

:  Patchy smoke, sunny today with a high near 82 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly clear overnight with a low near 46.

Areas of smoke, slight chance of rain after 3 p.m., increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 95 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Mostly clear and breezy overnight with a low near 62 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph.

:  Areas of smoke, slight chance of rain after 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 92 and wind gusts as high as 23 mph. Breezy, gradually becoming clear overnight with a low near 62 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

  Areas of smoke, sunny today with a high near 93 and mostly clear and breezy overnight with a low near 59 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

   Chance of rain mainly after 1 p.m., areas of smoke, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 88 and mostly clear overnight with a low near 61.

  Slight chance of rain after 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny and hot today with a high near 96 and mostly clear overnight with a low near 57.

:   Slight chance of rain after 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny and hot today with a high near 95 and mostly clear overnight with a low near 59.

Mostly sunny today with a high near 91 and wind gusts as high as 17 mph. Mostly cloudy, becoming clear overnight with a low near 60 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph.

   Sunny today with a high near 88 and wind gusts as high as 17 mph. Mostly clear overnight with a low near 62 and wind gusts as high as 17 mph.

:  Sunny today with a high near 85 and mostly clear overnight with a low near 60 and wind gusts as high as 16 mph.

  Slight chance of rain after 3 p.m., otherwise sunny and hot today with a high near 92 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m. and a low near 60.

  Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., increasing clouds and hot today with a high near 91 and partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before 9 p.m. and a low near 60.

  Slight chance of rain after noon, otherwise sunny today with a high near 90 and wind gusts as high as 18 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 58 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

   Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., otherwise sunny today with a high near 85 and partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before 9 p.m. and a low near 57.

  Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 82 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m. and a low near 51.

  Sunny today with a high near 88 and mostly cloudy, gradually becoming clear overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m. and a low near 57.

  Sunny today with a high near 88 and mostly clear overnight with a low near 56.

   Mostly sunny today with a high near 85 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 51.

   Sunny and hot today with a high near 91 and mostly clear overnight with a low near 50.

Daycap small 7 31 26

<title>Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Friday, July 31, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Friday, July 31, 2026

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's managing editor, Greg Johnson.

Greg Johnson

Crime & Courts

Courts

Just because a Douglas man facing 72 child sex and pornography-related charges was a 

 on Tuesday doesn’t necessarily mean whoever put up $250,000 cash to bond him out of jail will lose all that money.

The Converse County Attorney’s Office could file a motion to revoke or forfeit all, some or none of Smallbone’s bond, said Steven Titus, a Gillette defense attorney.

And those costs could likely be pulled from that $250,000 bond, said Titus, adding that he’s referencing general options and not specifics about Smallbone’s case.

That said, he thinks Smallbone missing that hearing “was stupid,” and that it’s “very rare” for someone to not show up for court when a large amount of money or their home is on the line.

“I can’t remember the last time someone willingly missed court, knowingly missed court, with that kind of money on the line,” Titus said. “It’s really rare for something like this to happen.”

As of Thursday afternoon, Smallbone was still being held at the San Francisco County Jail on a fugitive warrant out of Wyoming.

He hasn’t yet been seen by a judge there and a hearing on his extradition to Wyoming hasn’t been set, according to the Superior Court of San Francisco.

When he does get back, Titus said he would be “shocked” if the judge in his case doesn’t revoke his bond altogether or raise it significantly.

“My guess is the judge will increase the bond, because if he wasn’t a flight risk before, he’s shown he is now,” Titus said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Who Gets The Money?"}]

The Converse County Attorney’s Office so far hasn’t filed a motion to revoke or forfeit Smallbone’s bond, according to the public-facing court file in the case.

While he won’t comment on Smallbone’s case or circumstances, Converse County Deputy Prosecutor Nathan Shumway echoed Titus’ assessment that there are many things that can determine just how much — or little — bond is forfeited in a criminal case.

That process could include holding an evidentiary hearing to show someone “willfully violated a condition of their bond,” Shumway said in an email to Cowboy State Daily.

“In the instance of a failure to appear, what usually must be proven is that the failure to appear was willful, and not because of something outside the defendant’s control,” he said.

“If the State meets its burden, the Defendant’s bond is revoked and the process continues as if the person had admitted to violating their bond,” he added.

[{"type":"text","text":"If not, the bond is reinstated."}]

The $250,000 question some are asking now that Smallbone has been picked up for the second time within a week on a fugitive warrant in another state is: Where does that money go?

[{"type":"text","text":"It can be a variety of places, both Titus and Shumway said."}]

Some of the money can be used to repay costs associated with finding and apprehending someone on the run, and the court can implement penalties, Titus added.

[{"type":"text","text":"Whatever is left goes to local schools."}]

“When a bond is ordered forfeited by the court, the money is paid into the county treasury to the credit of the county’s public school fund, in accordance with Wyoming Statute 7-10-105,” Shumway said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"How We Got Here"}]

Smallbone was released from jail June 24, when someone walked into the Converse County Detention Center with $250,000 cash.

He was arrested July 22 on a fugitive warrant in Fort Collins, Colorado, after investigators learned he may have been trying to flee Wyoming.

 on a personal recognizance bond before Converse County officials could bring him back to Wyoming.

Smallbone then was a no-show for his Tuesday arraignment hearing in Douglas, then about four hours later was arrested again in San Francisco, Sheriff Clint Becker reported.

Siegel hadn’t responded by Thursday afternoon to an offer to explain what happened in her courtroom with Smallbone.

The result was frustrating for law enforcement in two states, with Converse County Undersheriff Chris Walsh calling the release “a surprising twist” that left him “shocked.”

The Larimer County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado also has questioned how an accused child sex abuser was released.

“Mr. Smallbone was taken into custody on a valid and active warrant out of Wyoming, which included dozens of allegations of sexual crimes against children,” agency spokesperson Kylie Masserman said in a Monday email to Cowboy State Daily. 

She said her office asked Magistrate Siegel to also issue a $250,000 cash-only bond for Smallbone. 

That’s because the objective was “to keep him in custody until he could be transferred back to Wyoming to face his charges,” she said in the statement. “This request was consistent with what the Wyoming authorities requested and consistent with our practices on cases of this severity.”

Masserman said that instead, the personal recognizance bond was issued “contrary to our request.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Hearing"}]

Meanwhile, Converse County officials were ready and waiting in case Smallbone did show up for his Tuesday hearing, or for any trouble that might ensue because of the nature of the allegations against him.

Sheriff Becker was leaning on a rail outside the justice center ahead of the scheduled hearing, flanked by five deputies. 

Three more deputies manned the security station just inside the front doors, and two Douglas cops were hanging out inside the courtroom.

While there were no emotional fireworks, Becker said he and his deputies were ready “just in case.”

It was the same inside the courtroom, which looked a bit like a shotgun wedding, with the 30 or so people watching from the gallery choosing to sit behind the prosecutor’s table.

[{"type":"text","text":"The hearing, scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m., was over by 3:35."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Charges"}]

Smallbone’s charges relate to a trove of videos and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) allegedly found on his phone and electronic devices while Converse County investigators were looking into a report that he propositioned a young girl, according to a court affidavit.

The mother of an underage girl reported concerning interactions her daughter had with Smallbone on May 9.

The girl was in a vehicle with Smallbone and others when he allegedly typed “if you suck me, I’ll lick you” on his phone and showed it to the girl, according to an affidavit of probable cause written by Lt. Benjamin K.P. Peech of the Converse County Sheriff’s Office.

“He also mouthed the words, ‘I want to see you naked,’” the affidavit says.

Smallbone later denied mouthing anything or showing the girl any messages.

On those devices, investigators report that they found dozens of images and videos depicting prepubescent girls and boys performing a wide range of sex acts, the affidavit says. Many of the videos appear to have been created by Smallbone in rooms and spaces that are identifiable enough to connect them to alleged potential victims.

The most disturbing allegations stem from a series of at least seven videos that the affidavit reports allegedly show a young girl having her pants pulled down and being subjected to sex with a dog.

Along with the CSAM, investigators say they found “records indicating (his phone) had been used to connect to the Tor Browser, which is commonly used by subjects accessing CSAM to communicate within the Dark Web anonymously,” the affidavit says.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"He’s charged with:"}]

• 1 count of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

• 36 counts of possessing child pornography.

• 16 counts of using a video camera to record intimate areas of another person without consent.

• 18 counts of knowingly manufacturing, generating, or creating child pornography.

• 1 count of possessing more than 3 ounces of marijuana (1.3 pounds).

At Tuesday’s hearing, Shumway said his office intends to file new, expanded charges against Smallbone. Those weren’t available in the public court files as of Thursday afternoon.

If convicted with maximum concurrent sentences, Smallbone could face up to 791 years in prison and fines of up to $710,000.

The most serious is the sexual abuse of a minor charge, which calls for a sentence of between 25 and 50 years.

Smallbone and courthouse 2 7 30 26

<title>What Happens To $250,000 Bond For Accused Sex Abuser Who No-Showed At Court | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Just because a Douglas man facing 72 child sex and pornography-related charges was a no-show for his arraignment hearing on Tuesday doesn’t necessarily mean whoever put up $250,000 cash to bond him out of jail will lose all that money.

What Happens To $250,000 Bond For Accused Sex Abuser Who No-Showed At Court

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's general assignment reporter, Clair McFarland.

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Nineteen Republican state leaders, including a former Wyoming governor, have endorsed Steve Friess for U.S. House, the candidate’s team told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.

Friess is in the final three weeks of a fiery race for the Republican nomination to the House seat Rep. Harriet Hageman is leaving to run for U.S. Senate.

Of the 14 endorsers Cowboy State Daily was able to reach Thursday for interviews, all touted Friess’s merits. A minority of four specifically voiced a desire to see someone beat Secretary of State Chuck Gray, who is one of Friess’s eight GOP opponents.

Former Gov. Jim Geringer said he’s endorsing Friess “because he’s the right guy.”

Geringer also pointed to Gray’s upbringing in California and said, “I don’t see him as being connected and aware enough of national issues to be able to handle what Steve Friess has already done.”

Friess has said that he organized a group of top Washington, D.C., attorneys to craft ready-made executive order proposals for President Donald Trump ahead of his first inauguration in 2017. The Friess family also kick-started Charlie Kirk’s group Turning Point USA and a host of other conservative groups and causes.

Gray was elected to the state Legislature in 2016 and served for six years. He was elected Secretary of State in 2022 and has repeatedly pushed the Legislature for election reform, resulting in the passage of several new election laws.

[{"type":"text","text":"Both men point to pro-life victories."}]

Gray and Friess also face state Senate President Bo Biteman, Casper businessman Reid Rasner, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, former legislator Keith Goodenough, singer/actor Richard Dodson, and military veterans David Giralt and Kevin Christensen.

[{"type":"text","text":"The primary election is Aug. 18."}]

“Steve has a lot of skill. ‘Hochma’ is the word in the Old Testament: wisdom,” said former legislator Nathan Winters. 

Winters said that wisdom manifests in Friess’s four children, whom he cast as well-educated and thoughtful.

“As I’ve watched Steve, he’s just a remarkable person to run for that office,” said Winters.

Winters runs a Christian-issues advocacy group, Wyoming Family Alliance. But he said he gives his endorsement in his private capacity, not in connection with any group.

Most of the endorsers matched Winters’ attitude of praise. A minority of four added negative comments about Gray.

“Oh, I mean I’m not going to get into personal attacks,” said former Senate President Tony Ross, a Republican from Cheyenne, when saying why he wants someone to beat Gray. “I mean I think it’s self-evident. Jeez-Louise.”

Former state Rep. Elaine Harvey, a Big Horn County Republican, went further. On the one hand, she praised Friess on a nuanced policy level, saying she agrees with his approaches to public-lands management, health insurance and energy policy.

On the other hand, Harvey said she’s “disgusted” with Gray, in particular for his recurring spats with Gov. Mark Gordon in state board meetings.

[{"type":"text","text":"The other endorsers are:"}]

The four who voiced specific desires to see someone beat Gray were Geringer, Ross, Harvey and Ron Micheli. The rest were silent on that topic, sticking to Friess’s merits.

[{"type":"text","text":"‘Tired Class Of Political 1% Insiders’"}]

Gray in a Thursday text message called the endorsers a “tired class of political 1% insiders.”

“It’s not a surprise that Jackson Hole socialite Steve Friess is receiving the support of the same 1% insiders who want woke data centers and woke wind projects,” wrote Gray.

Not all of Friess’s endorsers have voiced a position on wind farms and data centers. Dockstader was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted against 

giving tax breaks to large data centers in 2010

Gray has come out against data centers, while Friess has said state and county governments – not Congress – should lead data center permitting decisions in ways that protect Wyomingites.

[{"type":"text","text":"Both men tout a pro-traditional-energy stance."}]

“Jackson socialite Steve Friess has rounded up the same tired class of political 1% insiders who have spent years trying to stop the silent majority and who are upset that I’ve been so successful in advancing common sense election integrity measures,” Gray continued.

Bebout rebutted that, saying "I call B.S." Bebout said he dislikes wind farms insofar as they're associated with government subsidies; and he approves of much of Gray's advocacy for election reform. He said he disapproves of Gray's approach to state land boards, where, Bebout said, he'd "try to make a stand or try to be, just ridiculous. And he doesn't fit." 

Gray alleged a “silent majority of Wyoming will see through this attempt by the insiders, with their media allies at Cowboy State Daily – which is owned by Friess allies in Jackson – to get behind a Jackson based insider candidate.”

Gray asserted that Friess is trying to “manufacture” momentum but “isn’t even in 2nd place in this race.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Then Give The Jackson Money Back, Says Friess"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Friess countered in his own interview."}]

“Now isn’t Chuck the insider, with the new GOP trying to put the thumb on the scale for him?” he asked.

One of Gray’s recent slogans has been for people not to “let Jackson buy” the race.

Friess had the biggest war chest as of July 1 with $2.5 million, followed by Rasner at $2 million and Gray at nearly $1.4 million. Each of those three has loaned himself more than $1 million.

“I’m curious then, if he’s interested in returning the checks he’s received from donors in Jackson Hole,” said Friess. “If Jackson money is a bad thing.”

Donations from Jackson residents to Gray’s campaign committee as of July 1 totaled $59,000, or just over a quarter of his individual contributions, according to the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC).

[{"type":"text","text":"But Not Tom Lubnau"}]

Former House Speaker and Cowboy State Daily columnist Tom Lubnau didn’t join the list of Friess endorsers.

He speculated that for an endorser list that big to emerge suddenly, someone is purposefully coordinating endorsements for Friess.

Lubnau theorized that Friess is trying to benefit from an “Anyone-but-Chuck” mantra that’s surfaced within the past couple weeks among some Wyomingites.

U.S. House candidate Steve Friess received 19 endorsements Thursday by Republican lawmakers, former legislators, energy industry leaders and Gov. Jim Geringer. Chuck Gray called them "a tired class of political 1% insiders" who support "woke wind projects."

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 5, 2023

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