The Wyoming Freedom political action committee, the campaign arm of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, announced late Wednesday night that it’s returning a $25,000 donation from the Crook County Republican Party to avoid any appearance of questionable campaign tactics.
The donation was the focus of a complaint filed with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office on Monday by Senate President Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower. He claims the donation was illegal and violated state campaign laws.
The Wyoming Freedom PAC doesn’t agree with Driskill’s allegation, but decided to return the money for the sake of public transparency.
“While we are immensely grateful for the Crook County Republican Party’s commitment to the liberty movement, no amount of support is worth a politically motivated prosecution for the sake of another headline meant to deride conservatives,” reads the announcement from Freedom PAC Chairman Kari Drost issued late Wednesday. “For that reason, we have decided to return the Crook County Republican Party's generous donation.”
The Issue
The donation was made in June and first reported by Cowboy State Daily last month, and drew outrage from some state legislators like Driskill and Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson.
Driskill told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday that the Freedom PAC made a “great” decision by returning the money and that he applauds the move. He considers the donation “unethical at best.”
“If they had some commonsense to start with they would follow the process allowed in the law,” he said.
Wyoming statutes state that political parties in Wyoming can’t give money to candidates for a primary election. Also, no political party money shall be spent directly or indirectly in the aid of the nomination of any one person as against another person of the same political party running in the primary election.
The Freedom PAC hasn’t endorsed any single candidate, but rather a slate of candidates, all running in contested Republican primary races.
Because the state director of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus is married to Secretary of State Chuck Gray’s chief legal counsel, Driskill requested his complaint be immediately forwarded to the Wyoming Attorney General for possible conflicts of interest.
Gray did that, but told Cowboy State Daily he didn’t do it because Driskill asked him to, but rather to avoid any appearance of any impropriety due to Driskill's "false, inappropriate and defamatory" allegations.
“We will not stand by and allow Governor Gordon’s appointed Attorney General, at the behest of Wyoming Senate President Ogden Driskill and House Minority Leader Mike Yin, to attack a local party,” the Freedom PAC says in its Wednesday announcement. “With a grateful heart, we stand with our friends in Crook County and our courageous donors from throughout the great state of Wyoming.”
Driskill does not consider his complaint moot now that the Freedom PAC has returned the money and said he hopes Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill moves forward with prosecution against the county party.
“It does not mean they didn’t break the law,” he said. “I hope a court takes a look at it. I don’t want any major penalties, but I do hope they say you can’t do it again.”
Perceptions And Reality
The Freedom PAC asserts in the statement that “liberal activists and their allies in the woke media” are making a mountain out of a molehill and like former President Donald Trump, are being subjected to an “unprecedented weaponization of the legal system,” which they consider “the left’s only remaining tool in their fight to maintain control.”
“Frivolous lawsuits, faulty cease-and-desist letters and open threats of political prosecution are new in Wyoming politics,” the press release reads.
A lawsuit was also filed against the PAC by two state legislators for mailers it sent out across the state, falsely accusing them of voting to keep Trump off the election ballot.
Driskill said if he had given money to the PAC and seen these mailers, he would’ve demanded his money back.
“It’s really tragic to see people give money to a really unethical way of promoting people,” he said.
Driskill also considers it a shame that complaints and lawsuits have to be filed and that it would be “kind of neat” if the group advertised ethically and honestly.
In its Wednesday press release, the Freedom PAC argues that the narrative lawmakers and the media make about the group that it is funded by dark money and mostly big money donors is also false, proven by the financial report it filed with the state on Wednesday.
The main root of derision against the Freedom Caucus has come from the fact it serves under the State Freedom Caucus Network, based in Washington, D.C. This conservative group that has ties to the congressional House Freedom Caucus has set up Freedom Caucuses in state legislatures all throughout the nation. It also pays the salary of Jessie Rubino, state director of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
It also pays the salary of Jessie Rubino, Wyoming state director for the State Freedom Caucus Network.
As first reported by Cowboy State Daily in 2023, members of the Freedom Caucus receive suggestions on how to vote on particular bills from Rubino during the legislative session.
Where’s Their Money Coming From?
But the Freedom Caucus denounces the drawing of these connections, describing them as the “malicious claims of the press” in the statement.
It also points out that 99% of the group’s donations came from Wyoming residents, and 56% of the donations were $100 or less.
In total, the Freedom PAC raised $127,417 in 2024, including the Crook County donation, which was reported as returned to the party Tuesday, according to the PAC’s campaign finance report. It spent $179,875, which it did with the help of $29,025 it had in the bank entering the year.
The Freedom PAC spent $147,927 with Las Vegas-based political and consulting firm McShane LLC in 2024. Of this, $45,030 was for digital advertising and $93,085 for printing and postage costs, likely related to the controversial mailers the group has been putting out.
The group received no money from any major corporations or the State Freedom Caucus Network, but it did get $250 from the Virginia-based Gun Owners of America and a total of $200 from two Gillette businesses.
Who Gave?
There were some big Wyoming names among the donors.
The biggest single donors were Hulett residents William Haas and Jeanie Haas, who each gave $30,000 to the PAC in 2024.
Former state legislator and conservative organizer Marti Halverson gave a total of $700, while fellow former state legislator Tim Hallinan gave $250. Gore-Tex heiress Susan Gore gave $1,400.
Jackson resident Rebecca Bextel, who in 2023 attempted to enlist lawmakers in her fight against the Jackson Town Council over a perception it’s looking to get rid of the town’s rodeo grounds, gave $1,000.
In total, Teton County residents gave $31,450.
House Majority Floor Leader Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, gave a $6,000 rifle to the caucus as an in-kind donation, and Rep. Scott Smith, R-Lingle, gave $900.
Natrona County School Board Trustee Mary Schmidt gave $1,000. State Legislature candidates Mike Schmid ($1,000) and Ann Lucas ($100) also gave to the PAC.
The Wyoming Caucus, which was set up in 2023 to oppose the Freedom Caucus, has not submitted its campaign finance report yet. This information is due by next Tuesday.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
