Wyoming lawmakers on Oct. 21 greenlit four bill drafts aiming to prevent election errors that occurred in Weston County from happening again.
They include a bill to raise the penalty for ignoring a legislative subpoena, another that would require county clerks to notify political parties of the time and place of post-election ballot audits, and a bill that would specify that submitting a false post-election audit is a form of falsifying election documents.
Some state electeds on the interim Joint Management Audit Committee said Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock is guilty of ignoring a rarely-used subpoena and submitting a false post-election audit following her handling of the 2024 general election.
In the Nov. 5 general election, Hadlock distributed incorrect ballots for three races to local polling centers, which led to hand recounts.
Secretary of State Chuck Gray’s office completed its own investigation into Hadlock and released a report calling for her removal on March 10.
Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R-Cody), the chair of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, leads an oversight subcommittee that’s looking into the Weston County issue.
“[Hadlock’s behavior] certainly suggests that an attempt was made by Clerk Hadlock to cover up the errors that were made with the false post-election audit,” Rodriguez-Williams said at the Oct. 21 meeting, clarifying that she was speaking to her personal view on the matter.
A member of Hadlock’s staff told Wyoming Public Radio on Oct. 24 that she was not in the office and therefore wouldn’t respond to a request for comment on this story.
Lawmakers also voted to ask a court to order Hadlock to testify before them at their next meeting. In September, Hadlock failed to show up when subpoenaed by legislators who wanted to question her about how incorrect ballots were distributed in 2024. Hadlock told the committee she had a scheduling conflict.
Josh Anderson, an attorney for the Legislative Service Office, the Legislature’s nonpartisan staff, said a court order like that is unprecedented.
“I don't think this has ever occurred before,” said Anderson. “So again, I don't know exactly what it would look like.”
Members of the committee also voted to give their oversight panel more time to prepare its “findings of fact” report on the Weston County issues.
Governor investigation redux
Meanwhile, Gov. Mark Gordon says his office will investigate Hadlock for a second time after receiving more complaints, according to an Oct. 20 press release.
That’s after he wrapped up a similar investigation into Hadlock in May that found her actions didn’t add up to “willful negligence” or “malfeasance.”
One of the new complaints alleges Hadlock filed a false post-election audit following last year’s election.
Another outlines Hadlock’s failure to comply with the legislative subpoena.
If Gordon determines the new complaints hold water, he could refer the case to the state attorney general, who could seek Hadlock’s removal from office.
Four of the voters who submitted complaints to the governor, Allen Slagle, Karen Drost, Stanley Jasinski and Susan Love, are all members of the local Weston County Republican Party.
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.
