Wyoming entrepreneur Reid Rasner on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against a former state legislator for allegedly jeopardizing his “major business acquisition.” He told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday that’s a direct reference to his reported bid to buy TikTok, and other business ventures.
Also, China is blocking Rasner’s group from buying TikTok, Rasner added in his Thursday interview.
Rasner on Tuesday filed a defamation lawsuit in Laramie County District Court against former state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, a Republican from the Cheyenne area.
Rasner campaigned in 2024 for a U.S. Senate seat against Wyoming’s incumbent Republican Sen. John Barrasso.
Rasner’s civil complaint alleges that Bouchard launched a “concerted and well-orchestrated attack” on Rasner, which has also jeopardized the “major business acquisition” Ransner is pursuing.
Bouchard — who was a state senator from 2017-2024, when he did not run for reelection — did not respond by publication time to a request for comment.
Started On Facebook
The alleged attacks started May 6, 2024, with Bouchard posting what the complaint calls “false and defamatory allegations” against Rasner.
A Wednesday statement by Rasner includes screenshots depicting comments and posts by the “Senator Anthony Bouchard” Facebook account.
“He’s just another phony,” wrote Bouchard on a thread about Rasner. “Ask him about his student sexual abuse record when he taught Drama classes.”
Bouchard wrote that he’d spoken to a parent about those claims and Rasner “sicked (sic) his attorney on the parent. … Too bad the school covered it up.”
Bouchard in an original post to his page said Rasner was a drama instructor at Casper College.
This is not true, Rasner told Cowboy State Daily.
“I was a student. And as many students do, I did a student work-study program,” he said. The posts are “1,000% false. There was no sexual abuse. Ever.”
Casper College’s media contact did not immediately return a Cowboy State Daily voicemail request for comment.
Rasner said he believes these were bigoted attacks aimed at discrediting him because he’s gay, and aimed at spreading “tired old tropes” and “disgusting lies.”
“I’m going to defend my name and honor here,” said Rasner.
May Sue Others
Rasner said he and his attorney, Bill Fix, are eyeing other potential civil defendants. Many people participated in sharing those claims against him, he said.
Against Bouchard, Rasner has filed one claim of defamation and defamation “per se.” The latter is a reference to the lower bar for showing defamation where false claims of sexual abuse are involved.
Rasner’s other civil claims against Bouchard are tortious interference with a contract — a reference to Rasner’s business endeavors — and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
He’s asking for compensatory and punitive damages, court costs and any other relief the court deems proper, with amounts to be proven at a trial.
He’s also asking the court to enter judgment against Bouchard.
Meanwhile, China
China is blocking Rasner’s reported $47.45 billion bid (and the bids of others) to buy social media giant TikTok, held by Chinese company ByteDance, Rasner said.
“China has reported — and ByteDance has reported — they’re not going to sell the app to anyone; not just me,” he said. “We’re still in negotiations right now, and President (Donald) Trump is trying to negotiate with China, trying to get a deal done.
“But things have gotten a little complicated.”
The issue, said Rasner, is that China does not want to divest of TikTok’s algorithm as required for the app’s transition into U.S.-approved majority ownership.
Trump has extended ByteDance’s deadline to sell TikTok until Sept. 17, without clear legal authority to do so, The Associated Press reported in June.
The AP listed software company Oracle, investment firm Blackstone and artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI as potential buyers.
Reuters reported this week that TikTok is preparing to launch a standalone app for U.S. users that is expected to operate on a separate algorithm.
The South Dakota Searchlight news outlet in June called Rasner’s bid into question, writing, “his background offers no definitive proof to support (the term billionaire). Instead, disclosures filed during his Senate campaign show a self-employed financial adviser who owns some real estate, sells used goods on eBay for a sizable portion of his income, and is more than $1 million in debt due to a loan he received from a family trust.”
Rasner told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday that he’s come by considerable wealth via “private equity and institutional funding,” though he was raised middle class.
“I’ve had very, very good success in business since high school and I’ve built a really great life for myself,” he said.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
