The Management Audit Committee of the Wyoming Legislature is certainly feeling its oats. In the last few weeks, they have taken command of issues facing the state, and nothing is going to stop them from satisfying their Ulysean quests – except their hubris.
For the first time in many years, they issued a legislative subpoena. The subpoena commands officials from Manderson and Bear River to attend a legislative hearing or go to jail. They are going to find out why small towns cannot meet legislative dictates.
Does anyone hear Eric Cartman off in the distance screaming “Respect my authoritah!” ?
The Management Audit Committee is a committee of the legislature charged with monitoring programs and determining how legislation can be drafted to fix apparent problems with state government.
The committee is a legislative branch committee, and while having a deceptively similar name, has no relation to the Wyoming Department of Audit, which is a completely different agency than the State Auditor’s office.
Next, Management Audit decided it was going to ask the Department of Audit (not the State Auditor’s office) to conduct an audit of the Legislative Service Office – a legislative branch agency.
Some have argued the audit is politically motivated, calculated at removing the nonpartisan functions of the LSO, and creating a wholly partisan office, to serve as a slave to the majority party.
Most recently, the Management Audit Committee decided to investigate the mistake in tallying election results by Weston County Clerk, Becky Hadlock. The matter has been investigated by several other entities.
Hadlock’s conduct was investigated by Weston County Attorney Michael Stulken – who found no criminal conduct. Secretary of State Chuck Gray – who called for Hadlock to be removed from office conducted his own investigation.
Finally, Governor Mark Gordon and the Attorney General’s office investigated the office and found incompetence and indifference, but no attempt to sway the election and thus no criminal conduct.
After all these investigations, what happened during the Weston County election is well known.
Hadlock’s office provided the wrong version of ballots to several polling places. When undervote discrepancies were discovered, the office was indifferent to investigating the errors.
What, then, does the piling on by this committee hope to accomplish?
Could it be, Secretary of State Chuck Gray, who is a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, has been holding town hall meetings all over the state complaining about election integrity?
The Management Audit investigation aligns perfectly with Gray’s narrative. One might suggest the audit is a campaign stunt calculated to advance Gray’s campaign for whatever unannounced office he is seeking.
Since the Management Audit Committee had determined it needs to be more active, here are some additional suggestions for audit topics.
The Management Audit Committee should investigate the Jeffrey Epstein list.
Since the Freedom Caucus is Trump aligned, they can conduct an investigation and issue a statement that Pam Bondi is a hero saint, and she is hiding nothing from the people of Wyoming.
Management Audit can also investigate the sale of public land to billionaires to pay the national debt.
They should restrict the sales of public lands to foreign investors and billionaires, unless the foreign investors or billionaires donate generously to Management Audit Committee members’ campaigns.
One issue which is begging Management Audit Committee to address is why Vladimir Putin refuses to abide by President Trump's demands to end the war in Ukraine.
Management Audit Committee could use its plenary powers to force Putin to bow down to President Trump’s will.
Management Audit should investigate the Q-Anon conspiracy that Satan-worshiping pedophiles control American politics and the media.
They can use their subpoena power to summon the devil, himself, to testify in front of their committee. That way, they can dispel any rumors that devil-driven politics occur in Wyoming.
On the 56th anniversary of Apollo 11, Management Audit can investigate whether Wyoming tax dollars funded man walking on the moon, or whether the moon launch was simply a Hollywood generated fiction.
With their immense powers, Management Audit might even fly to the moon, to prove it cannot be done.
Finally, Management Audit should investigate why clowns wear big flat yellow shoes, colorful costumes, wild wigs and drive fire trucks that explode into confetti.
They should investigate the purchase of bobblehead dolls and Wyoming DOGE hats. Maybe, then, they could understand why the 2025 Wyoming legislature is a clown show.
Tom Lubnau served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2004 - 2015 and is a former Speaker of the House. He can be reached at: YourInputAppreciated@gmail.com
