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

<title>Daily Darwin: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Daily Darwin: Wednesday, April 10, 2024

 It is always advisable when doing roof work to put a ladder on top of a folding table which is on top of a picnic table....

Mac Watson

Daily Video News

It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Thursday, June 25th.  I’m Mac Watson

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Wyoming congressional candidate Reid Rasner, who works as a financial advisor, was “discharged” from his broker clearinghouse company in late April. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports the dismissal was based on allegations that Rasner “engaged in unapproved outside business activity,” federal filings say.

“Rasner had been with LPL Financial for like nine years, and he, he did run for Senate in 2024 not not successfully against Barrasso, and then in 2025 was being very public about a hope to purchase TikTok, that didn't pan out, but then this year he's been running for US House, the seat that Representative Hageman is vacating.  So, the LPL discharged him in late April, that would have been several months after he, that would have been months after he declared for office, a few weeks after his campaign finance reports came out, and several months after the TikTok deal kind of fizzled.”

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) profile of Rasner says he was registered previously as a broker “and is currently registered as an investment advisor.” The profile also states that he’s held state registrations in New York and Wyoming.

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An armed female suspect surrendered to law enforcement after a multi-hour standoff on Cody's south side Wednesday afternoon. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that the woman was arrested and charged with criminal trespass, property destruction, and interference with a police officer.

“So, the Cody Police Department responded to a call of an unauthorized entry in an unoccupied Cody home around noon on Wednesday, and they found a female suspect who barricaded herself inside that home with a firearm. The standoff lasted around five hours, and then the suspect was arrested. The suspect surrendered and was arrested without incidents, and there were no reported injuries. 41-year-old Dawn Blaycock has been charged with multiple offenses.”

Blaylock is currently being held in the Park County Detention Center.

A Sheridan rancher says an “asinine, stupid” outhouse crackdown is pushing Amish families out of the Hulett area. Cowboy State Daily’s Kate Meadows reports that rancher Pepper Fipps says landowners were threatened with fines of up to $30,000 per day if they failed to comply with outhouse regulations.

“This controversy goes back to 2024 when a wastewater specialist with Crook County discovered what he considered to be an illegal outhouse on an Amish owned property, Pepper Thips is calling it government overreach and saying they're after money, and it's all about making a buck. County commissioners are saying it's about environmental quality and making sure that our groundwater is not polluted by illegally made out houses that have no, you know, no protections from the wider world, so to speak.”

Fipps tells Cowboy State Daily that about 40 Amish families live in the Hulett area. Founded in 2011, the Hulett Amish settlement is one of five in Wyoming.

A Johnson County judge ruled that anything Wyoming state Rep. Bill Allemand said while handcuffed for 12 minutes during a DUI traffic stop can’t be used as direct evidence against him. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that’s because his arresting deputy failed to give Allemand his Miranda rights.

“He was not free to leave, he was handcuffed for 12 minutes. Originally, it was for a good idea, they saw a gun on the seat, they were worried about officer safety, they detained him so they could take care of the gun, but he stayed handcuffed, and the deputy was asking him questions, and so the judge was like, look, you can't, you can't keep for your main case any potentially incriminating stuff that he said while you're questioning him while he was in custody and hadn't been warned against incriminating himself. It benefits Aleman by whittling the main evidence that the state can bring against him.”

Allemand, a Republican state representative of the Mills area, 

, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol in Johnson County – one day after a Buffalo traffic stop just off Interstate 25.

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

Cowboy State Daily News continues now….

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Five young Arapaho braves snuck off from Fort Robinson 150 years ago this week and fought the 7th Cavalry at Little Bighorn, where General Custer met his demise. Cowboy State Daily’s Jackie Dorothy reports that two of the braves later told their story to actor and adopted member of the Arapaho tribe, Tim McCoy.

“These five Arapaho men were not supposed to be where they were, and they were actually captured by the Sioux, and one thing led to another, and next thing you know, the Arapahoes, these five young men are part of the battle against Custer. The two bucks, as they refer to themselves, actually saw Custer during this battle. Left Hand saw him standing and shooting into the Indians with his pistols. Waterman, when he saw Custer, Custer was on all fours on the ground, bleeding out of his mouth with a wound in his side, and Waterman must have been impacted by it, because what he said he saw was Custer watching the Indians – silent, just watching them. This battle took place 150 years ago today, and there were no prisoners taken, because the philosophy of the Indians was that  you had two choices: you either fight or you die. There was no such thing as surrender.”

They have been dubbed by historians as the Arapaho Five, warriors who found themselves fighting against General Custer 150 years ago. Their names were Left Hand, Yellow Eagle, Yellow Fly, Water Man, and Sage.

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Colorado wildlife agents are trying to determine why a black bear attacked a woman on a hiking trail in Denver and then followed her for 30 minutes despite her shouting and throwing rocks at it. Outdoors Reporter Mark Heinz reports that the woman who took video of the encounter said it was “circling her.”

“At one point, a couple other hikers joined her because they heard the ruckus, and also started yelling at the bear, and it still wouldn't leave. Eventually the bear wandered off down another leg of the trail, and apparently started following other hikers. So I reached out to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and they said they don't think that this would qualify as what they would call a predatory incident with the bear.”

The consensus among bear biologists is that while grizzlies are more likely to attack humans, black bears are more likely to attack in a purely predatory manner.

A Casper teen accused of attacking his mother led police to a hidden cache of stolen firearms and credit cards tucked behind a secret wall in his bedroom. Cowboy State Daily’s Kolby Fedore reports that court documents paint a picture of a family dispute that escalated into a foot chase through Casper neighborhoods .

“They went into his room, where they found about four stolen pistols. There is a fifth pistol they found that they also believe was stolen, but that's not confirmed yet. So, he is facing at least four felonies for these stolen guns. His mother said that earlier she had seen a credit card skimmer or a scanner. They did not find it that day, however, they did find several credit cards, so there may be further charges in the future. I spoke to the Natrona County Prosecutor, Dan Itson, and he said this 17-year old will be charged as an adult.”

Honor Jason Wickert, 17, appeared Tuesday afternoon in Natrona County Circuit Court, where he was formally charged with four felonies and several misdemeanors, including interference, domestic battery, carrying a concealed weapon, and being a minor in possession of tobacco products. 

The owner of a Wyoming sanitation company said it's not worth it to jump in a vault toilet to retrieve sunglasses like a man in California did last week. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that Adam Fink, owner of Laird Sanitation says nothing besides a family heirloom is worth diving into a vault toilet. 

“Vault toilets can be anywhere from three to 10 feet deep, and a lot of them, they don't use water, but they might be filled with the chemicals that you find in Port-a-johns, so if you go in there, you might be floating once you're in there, because it might be so deep you won't be able to touch the ground.”

The incident occurred June 20th at Camp Edison on the Sierra National Forest, northeast of Fresno and according to media reports, the unidentified man trying to recover his sunglasses was stuck inside for about 15 minutes before being rescued.

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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 6 25 26

<title>Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Thursday, June 25, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Thursday's headlines include:
* Armed Standoff In Cody
* Reid Rasner Fired By Company
* It’s Not A Good Idea To Jump In Outhouse

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Thursday, June 25, 2026

Kerry Drake

Entertainment

The biggest creator of fake news in Wyoming has decided to sell what he calls “my baby,” Casper Planet, the satirical Facebook page that has sparked reactions from hysterical to hopping mad all over the world.

“It’s been fun, but when it’s only you doing something like this for 10 years, it almost loses the quality it deserves,” said Justin Hathaway, an oil-field worker for the past 15 years.

Hathaway has 106,000 followers on Facebook, nearly double the size of Casper. 

It's become so popular — and convincing — that the fact-checking site "

 has an entire section built to debunk his myths.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"For A Decade"}]

Hathaway has been showcasing his satire on his Facebook page for a decade. For example, check out his 

, “New Hydrothermal Pool in Yellowstone Is Now Oozing Magma.” 

With tongue firmly in cheek, he writes that a hydrothermal pool that exploded last week has started releasing lava as the ground around the area sinks 6 inches a day.

“This is a new show put on by the super volcano that the world has never witnessed before, this new pool, the bus full of tourists that sunk into a hidden super-heated thermal geyser is all new activity,” the story continued. “Ivanka Stonkfenger of the geothermal science department of Yellowstone said, ‘Let’s not worry about it, what you should worry about is how addicting vanilla soft-service ice cream is'.”

The post includes a “photo” of lava flowing out of the pool. As with most of Casper Planet posts, some commenters play along as if the story is real.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Roots Under Devils Tower"}]

Others actually buy the nonsense Hathaway peddles. Take one of his most well-known spoofs that went viral, about how the “Wyoming State Parks Department,” which doesn’t exist, used photographic seismic readings, also not real, to discover a petrified root system, 4 miles wide and 7 miles deep, under Devils Tower.

“I had a guy in Italy yelling at me over Messenger,” Hathaway recalled. “He wanted to know more information about the story. He was dead set that the story was serious, and I kept telling him that it’s not a real story.”

The writer sent the man pictures of the graphic of corn roots he used, changing centimeters to miles, “but he didn’t believe it and was really upset. The flat-earthers attacked me, too.”

“Obviously you can’t make everybody happy,” Hathaway said. “I was trying to, but it just doesn’t work. I kept doing my own thing and didn't worry about it.”

Another post that blew up the Internet was Hathaway’s 2024 story about a semitruck that 

Normally, he lets the silliness speak for itself and doesn’t post anything to indicate it’s all a gag. He doesn’t have to: on the top of the Casper Planet Facebook page is a disclaimer that reads, “Delivering the Snews that doesn’t matter directly to your Snews feed. Did we say this is satire? Well it is, names/locations are made up.”

But after the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation had to distribute press releases telling drivers it was safe to travel on I-25, Hathaway released his own message to let people know no snakes were actually slithering down the highway.

He said the concept, which took him about 20 minutes to outline and write, was a big hit in India. 

“A lot of online publications there were just going with the wave, exploring and explaining and just having a good laugh,” Hathaway said. “It was nice.”

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

 last July he wasn’t profiting from the business. 

“There’s zero money in it,” Hathaway said. “Google AdSense does not like satire, so they won’t put ads on the website, and Facebook won’t let me monetize anything. It’s mostly a free gig.”

How does an owner of something with no intrinsic monetary value sell it? Well, Hathaway went looking for potential buyers, and he found several mega-sites that flourish financially. That includes one in Minnesota with nearly 2 million followers.

“There’s a couple of them that are kind of in the same wheelhouse, and they’re able to monetize,” he said. “I don’t know how they did it.”

Hathaway said his ideal buyer would be someone who’s lived in Wyoming for at least five years. 

“I want to make sure it’s a good fit," he said. "I don’t want to pass it over and see it go downhill.” 

So, what will the current Casper Planet owner do once he’s done supplying his audience with fake news?

Hathaway said he plans to help friends start an oil and gas company in Wyoming that’s unique to the industry.

“Out in the oil and gas field, I’d say in the last 10 years, employees haven’t been getting paid enough,” he said. “I get it. Businesses want to make as much as they can. But my friends want to start a company that takes as little as possible from the employees. In fact, they want to be paid less than their employees.”

Wait, a company that pays them better than the bosses? In a phone interview, it was difficult to tell if Hathaway was smiling over finding someone gullible enough to swallow another whopper.

But he sounded serious, and Hathaway and his buddies have industry experience. He said they want to “cut out all the middle stuff, streamlining it.” 

“With the amount of technology we have today,” Hathaway added, “there’s no reason two or three people can’t run a decent-sized company.”

Kerry Drake can be reached at Kerry@CowboyStateDaily.com

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<title>Not Fake News: Creator Of Satirical ‘Casper Planet’ Says It’s Time To Sell | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Justin Hathaway is selling his satirical Planet Casper Facebook page. He wants someone in Wyoming who will build on a legacy that includes telling 106,000 followers about king cobras spilling onto I-25 and a Yellowstone tourist bus sinking in magma.

Not Fake News: Creator Of Satirical ‘Casper Planet’ Says It’s Time To Sell

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is trying to determine why a black bear attacked a woman Sunday on a popular hiking trail, and then followed her for 30 minutes despite her shouting and throwing rocks at it.

“We don’t know for sure, because we haven’t found the bear,” Kara Van Hoose, CPW's northeast region spokeswoman, told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.

The bear was thought to be a “yearling, or young adult,” she added.

Predatory attacks, in which a bear is deliberately stalking a person as prey, are extremely rare in both black bears and grizzlies.

Most bear attacks are defensive or territorial.

While the bear’s behavior was alarming, CPW doesn’t think it was predatory, Van Hoose said.

“It makes us think more likely a food-conditioned bear, not a predatory black bear,” she said.

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The woman, who CPW did not identify, told wildlife agents that she was attacked from behind and suffered scratches on one leg at about 5:20 p.m.

She was on the Enchanted Forest trail in the 700-acre Apex Park near Golden in Jefferson County. CPW shut down the park after the reported attack.

The woman told investigators the bear continued to follow her despite her repeated attempts to intimidate and haze it by making herself look big, shouting, and throwing rocks and sticks.

Toward the end of the encounter, the woman was joined by two hikers who responded to her calls for help. Even with all three people shouting at it, the bear was undeterred, CPW reported.

Eventually, the bear turned down another trail, where it reportedly started following other hikers, according to CPW.

The woman is an avid hiker who has had previous bear encounters, and acted appropriately by trying to intimidate and haze the bear, Van Hoose said.

The woman gave CPW a short cellphone video she took during the encounter, which helped the agency identify the bear as relatively small and probably young, Van Hoose said.

CPW isn’t at liberty to share the video with Cowboy State Daily, she said.  

 reported the woman reached out and shared the video and details of the encounter but declined to be named in their report.

The woman told Denver 7 the bear was “circling” her.

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British Columbia bear researcher Lana Ciarniello told Cowboy State Daily she couldn’t comment on the specifics of the Colorado attack, but affirmed that predatory behavior is extremely rare in both black bears and grizzlies.

Most human-bear conflict is rooted in human mistakes, such as deliberately feeding bears or allowing them access to garbage or other food sources, she said.

People who recreate in bear territory should “take training courses” on avoiding close encounters, and what to do if one occurs.

And “carry bear spray,” Ciarniello said.

Van Hoose said it wasn’t known for certain whether the woman attacked in Colorado was carrying bear spray.

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Ciarniello noted that a video tutorial, “Staying Safe in Bear Country”, was made years ago by the International Bear Association (IBA) but remains a “gold standard” bear-safety training tool.

In one segment, the difference is noted between defensive actions by bears versus deliberate approaches.

Bears that deliberately approach people might be driven by curiosity or food conditioning, according to IBA. In rare instances, bears see people as prey.

A predatory bear will move in “with its head up and ears erect, its approach is confident and persistent,” according to IBA.

If a predatory bear makes contact, it’s time to fight back because “you’re fighting for your life,” IBA states.

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It’s not certain what will happen to the bear once CPW finds it, Van Hoose said.

More information is needed before it can be determined whether it will be euthanized, or if other action is needed, she said.

Agents need to determine if it has persisted in following people or displayed other aggressive behavior, and whether it might be malnourished or suffering from disease, Van Hoose said.

Bear denver 6 24 26

<title>Colorado Wildlife Officials Uncertain Why Black Bear Attacked, Followed Woman | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Colorado wildlife agents are trying to determine why a black bear attacked a woman on a hiking trail in Denver and then followed her for 30 minutes despite her shouting and throwing rocks at it. The woman who took video of the encounter said it was "circling her."

Colorado Wildlife Officials Uncertain Why Black Bear Attacked, Followed Woman

Employee kate meadows cropped

Kate Meadows

Around Wyoming

A dispute over primitive outhouses on Amish-owned property in Crook County has prompted claims that some families are leaving northeast Wyoming’s oldest Amish community, though county officials say the issue has been resolved and was never intended to drive anyone away.

Sheridan rancher Pepper Fipps said he believes county enforcement efforts over wastewater disposal in the Hulett area have discouraged Amish families from remaining in the community.

“They wind up starting a little bit of a war,” Fipps said of the commissioners. “The community is dwindling.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Crook County Commission vice chairman Bob Latham disputes that."}]

“It’s all settled now. Everything is fixed,” Latham told Cowboy State Daily.

An estate moving sale earlier this month was held for two Amish families — Abe and Elizabeth Yoder and Rudy and Irene Borntreger. Records show Abe Yoder was among the landowners involved in the wastewater dispute.

About 40 Amish families live in the Hulett area, Fipps said. Founded in 2011, the Hulett Amish settlement is one of five in Wyoming.

Cowboy State Daily attempted to contact the families but did not receive responses before publication. Amish communities have traditionally relied on the U.S. mail for communication, and many members do not use cell phones or email.

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The issue surfaced in October 2024, when Crook County officials learned some Amish landowners west of Hulett had dug pits to use as toilets without obtaining permits.

Crook County wastewater specialist Caleb Peters informed commissioners that Yoder had installed outhouses that did not comply with county regulations, according to reporting by the Sundance Times.

Latham said a hole in the ground used to collect human waste is considered an illegal outhouse because it poses a risk to groundwater.

Commissioners scheduled a hearing in January 2025, expecting Yoder to attend and discuss the matter, but he did not appear, according to the Times.

Peters and county planning director Tim Lyons determined conditions at some properties presented health concerns after observing graywater and blackwater drainage. The Times reported Peters found a chicken with its head inside blackwater drainage at one residence, along with what he described as an odor of rot. At another property, he reportedly discovered an abandoned outhouse occupied by animals.

Latham said county code requires human-waste receptacles to be portable, pumpable or connected to a septic system.

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Fipps contends county officials threatened landowners with fines of up to $30,000 per day if they failed to comply with regulations.

He called the county’s rule about illegal outhouses “asinine, stupid."

“It is baffling to me because I haven’t ever seen an outhouse blow up,” he said, noting Amish families typically live on 160-acre parcels well away from town.

[{"type":"text","text":"Latham said fines were never a part of the county’s solution."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“To my knowledge, we never imposed fines,” he said."}]

Due to the challenge of communicating with Amish residents, County Attorney Joe Baron mailed letters to the landowners, Latham said. Peters also visited properties in person several times, he added.

“Some didn't want to talk to him,” Latham said. “Some did and were very cordial. The ones who didn't found out we're not going to quit, because it's about health and safety. It's something we take very seriously.”

After being notified of the violations, some landowners installed vault toilets that comply with county requirements, he said.

He credited Peters’ persistence with resolving the issue. 

“Caleb did a heck of a job of staying on it and getting things corrected,” Latham said. “Sometimes they feel like they can follow a different path. It was a lot of education and a lot of back-and-forth.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Government Overreach Or Public Health?"}]

Fipps said he believes the county's response amounted to government overreach.

Latham disagrees, saying Crook County is obligated to enforce regulations consistent with standards established by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.

“Every time we have to knuckle down and say, 'This isn't right', we hear that,” he said. “We could have been a lot meaner about it. It was mainly getting an understanding of what the laws are.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Our biggest thing with that deal is their health and safety.” "}]

According to the Young Center at Elizabethtown College, Crook County is home to Wyoming's largest Amish settlement. The state's Amish population numbers roughly 500 people spread among five settlements.

[{"type":"text","text":"Smaller settlements have since formed near Newcastle, Buffalo and Powell."}]

“I've known them my whole life,” Fipps said of the Hulett settlement. “I've traded horses with them and done business with them.”

Outhouse 2 6 24 26

<title>Rancher Claims Outhouse Dispute The Reason Amish Community Leaving Hulett | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Sheridan rancher says an "asinine, stupid" outhouse crackdown is pushing Amish families out of the Hulett area. He said landowners were threatened with fines of up to $30,000 per day if they failed to comply with outhouse regulations.

Rancher Claims Outhouse Dispute The Reason Amish Community Leaving Hulett

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

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Wyoming congressional candidate Reid Rasner, who works as a financial advisor, was “discharged” from his broker clearinghouse company in late April on allegations that he “engaged in unapproved outside business activity,” 

Reid Rasner is also running in a 10-candidate Republican primary race to win the party’s nomination toward Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat. Last year he announced, and later suspended, intentions to buy the tech giant TikTok amid congressional efforts to transfer the Chinese-involved company into American hands.

 also appears in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission profile, which says he started working through the investment clearinghouse LPL Financial LLC on March 1, 2019, and remained there until spring of this year.  

LPL Financial discharged Rasner on April 24 due to allegations he engaged in unapproved outside business activity, the profile says in a “disclosure” category. The disclosure doesn’t elaborate.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) profile of Rasner says he was registered previously as a broker “and is currently registered as an investment advisor.”

He’s held state registrations in New York and Wyoming, the profile says.

Before Rasner’s seven-year relationship with LPL Financial he was with Edward Jones for a year.

In 2019, the year Rasner’s work with LPL Financial began, he registered Wyoming Wealth Advisors LLC with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office, and three years later he registered his business Omnivest LLC with the state.

“Our Website is currently under maintenance!” the banner says. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

A disclosure brochure about OmniVest, dated June 15, says Rasner has a non-financial affiliated business as a congressional candidate.

“Approximately 10% of his time is spent on these activities. This does not present a conflict,” says 

LPL Financial did not respond by publication to an email inquiry to its press line.

[{"type":"text","text":"FINRA directed Cowboy State Daily to LPL."}]

Rasner, in response to an inquiry sent to his campaign team, said “In our industry, the transition of business relationships is a routine and common occurrence, particularly when professionals launch new firms.”

Rasner added, “I remain fully focused on growing my new firm, continuing to deliver exceptional service to clients, and helping bring investment, jobs, and economic opportunity back to Wyoming.”

As for what LPL Financial could have meant with the “unapproved outside business activity allegation,” Riverton-based financial advisor Mike Zirbel said, “It’s hard to narrow down.”

[{"type":"text","text":"That’s because financial advisors are tightly regulated, he said."}]

“There are so many things that would count as unapproved activities,” Zirbel added.

[{"type":"text","text":"A Little Background"}]

Rasner’s first-quarter Federal Election Commission report for his House campaign says he has loaned himself $1.2 million and contributed another $9,072 to his own campaign. That’s within a total of about $1.264 million in total receipts.

Rasner also ran an unsuccessful 2024 campaign against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. John Barrasso

[{"type":"text","text":"Barrasso defeated Rasner 70,494 to 25,427 in the 2024 GOP primary."}]

Rasner’s total receipts for that campaign finished off at $1.33 million, the 

Wyoming congressional candidate Reid Rasner, who works as a financial advisor, was “discharged” from his broker clearinghouse company in late April on allegations that he “engaged in unapproved outside business activity,” federal filings say.

Daily Darwin: Wednesday, April 10, 2024

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