Does the Wyoming Freedom Caucus’ donor network fund your local legislator's campaign?
The Wyoming Freedom Caucus is a group of state legislators who vote and govern under instructions from the Washington, D.C.-based State Freedom Caucus Network.
These lawmakers receive significant campaign support to help them get elected despite their unpopular, imported political agendas.
This year, Teton County Freedom Caucus donor and fundraiser Rebecca Bextel was caught handing out checks to Freedom Caucus legislators on the floor of the Wyoming Capitol.
Although “Checkgate” dominated news headlines, few people know exactly which politicians receive funding from Bextel and her Freedom Caucus circle of donors.
Find out if your local legislators receive “Bextel Bucks” in BWAR’s exclusive report.
IN THIS REPORT:
WHO GOT CHECKS DURING THE SESSION?
During “checkgate,” Bextel was delivering $1,500 checks from a Teton County donor named Don Grasso. Grasso told reporters the names of the 10 lawmakers' campaigns the checks were written to.
Rep. John Bear
Gillette - House District 31
Freedom Caucus leader
Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee
Former chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus
Rep. Chip Neiman
Hulett - House District 1
Freedom Caucus leader
Speaker of the House
Rep. Tony Locke
Casper - House District 35
Freedom Caucus leader
Chairman of the House Revenue Committee
Rep. Christopher Knapp
Gillette - House District 53
Freedom Caucus leader
Chairman of the House Corporations Committee
Rep. Joe Webb
Lyman - House District 19
Freedom Caucus member
Rep. Marlene Brady
Green River - House District 60
Freedom Caucus follower
Rep. Gary Brown
Cheyenne - House District 41
Freedom Caucus follower
Rep. Darin McCann
Rock Springs - House District 48
Freedom Caucus follower
Sen. Bob Ide
Casper - Senate District 29
Freedom Caucus ally
Sen. Ide turned his check from Bextel over to Senate leadership
Mark Jennings (Candidate)
Sheridan - House District 30
Freedom Caucus ally
Jennings, a former state legislator, has announced his run in 2026
WHO IS NEXT TO RECEIVE DONATIONS?
Bextel gave an investigative committee text messages between her and Freedom Caucus leader Rep. John Bear in which they discuss other candidates they think “are desperately in need of a $1,500 check.”
Chuck Gray (Candidate)
Current Secretary of State
Freedom Caucus Ally
Running for U.S. House in 2026
Megan Degenfelder (Candidate)
Current Superintendent of Public Instruction
Freedom Caucus Ally
Running for governor in 2026
Rep. Scott Heiner
Green River - House District 18
Freedom Caucus leader
House Majority Floor Leader
Rep. Jeremy Haroldson
Wheatland - House District 4
Freedom Caucus leader
House Speaker Pro Tempore
Vice Chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus
Rep. Bill Allemand
Casper - House District 58
Freedom Caucus member
Rep. Jayme Lien
Casper - House District 38
Freedom Caucus follower
Jeanette Ward (Candidate)
Casper - House District 57
Freedom Caucus ally
Ward, a former legislator, has announced her run in 2026
Rep. Pepper Ottman
Riverton - House District 34
Freedom Caucus member
Chairwoman of the House Labor Health Committee
Rep. Steve Johnson
Cheyenne - House District 8
Freedom Caucus member
Rep. Ann Lucas
Cheyenne - House District 43
Freedom Caucus member
Exie Brown (Candidate)
Cheyenne - House District 9
Freedom Caucus ally
Brown has announced his run in 2026
Rep. Cheri Steinmetz
Lingle - Senate District 5
Freedom Caucus ally
WHO DOES BEXTEL PERSONALLY DONATE TO?
In addition to raising money for the Freedom Caucus by asking others for donations, Bextel and her husband, Jonathan, give directly to candidates running for office in Wyoming. Here is who the Bextels donated to in 2024 according to the Wyoming Secretary of State’s campaign finance portal.
Chuck Gray (Candidate)
Secretary of State
Freedom Caucus ally
Rep. Rachael Rodriguez-Williams
Cody - House District 50
Freedom Caucus leader
Chairwoman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus
Rep. Ann Lucas
Cheyenne - House District 43
Freedom Caucus member
Rep. Gary Brown
Cheyenne - House District 41
Freedom Caucus follower
Rep. Jacob Wasserburger
Cheyenne - House District 11
Freedom Caucus follower
Kathy Russell (Candidate)
Cheyenne - House District 7
Freedom Caucus ally (lost race)
Jeanette Ward (Candidate)
Casper - House District 57
Freedom Caucus ally (lost race)
Sarah Penn (Candidate)
Lander - House District 33
Freedom Caucus ally (lost race)
Rep. Joe Webb
Rock Springs - House District 19
Freedom Caucus follower
Sen. John Kolb
Rock Springs - Senate District 12
Freedom Caucus ally
Sen. Laura Pearson
Kemmerer - Senate District 14
Freedom Caucus ally
Wyoming Freedom PAC
Political Action Committee
Funds campaign materials for Wyoming Freedom Caucus candidates
Rep. Nina Webber
Cody - House District 24
Freedom Caucus follower
WHO GETS SUPPORT FROM THE FREEDOM CAUCUS’ PAC
While Bextel and her circle of donors give directly to Freedom Caucus candidates, they also give to the WY Freedom PAC, which is responsible for many of the attack mailers that flooded people’s mailboxes before the 2024 primaries.
Here are the sitting legislators who won their 2024 races with help from the WY Freedom PAC. See the full list of endorsements here.
Albany County
Rep. Ocean Andrew
Laramie - House District 46
Freedom Caucus leader
Chairman of the House Education Committee
House Majority Whip
Big Horn, Fremont, Hot Springs and Park Counties
Rep. Rachael Rodriguez-Williams
Cody - House District 50
Freedom Caucus leader
Chair of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus
Rep. Pepper Ottman
Riverton - House District 34
Freedom Caucus leader
Chairwoman of the House Labor Health Committee
Rep. Nina Webber
Cody - House District 24
Freedom Caucus follower
Rep. John Winter
Thermopolis - House District 28
Freedom Caucus leader
Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee
Rep. Joel Guggenmos
Riverton - House District 55
Freedom Caucus follower
Sen. Tim French
Cody - Senate District 18
Freedom Caucus ally
Campbell County
Rep. John Bear
Gillette - House District 31
Freedom Caucus leader
Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee
Former chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus
Rep. Abby Angelos
Gillette - House District 3
Freedom Caucus follower
Rep. Christopher Knapp
Gillette - House District 53
Freedom Caucus leader
Chairman of the House Corporations Committee
Rep. Reuban Tarver
Gillette - House District 52
Freedom Caucus follower
Crook, Weston and Goshen Counties
Rep. Chip Neiman
Hulett - House District 1
Freedom Caucus leader
Speaker of the House
Rep. Scott Smith
Gillette - House District 52
Freedom Caucus follower
Laramie and Platte Counties
Rep. Jeremy Haroldson
Wheatland - House District 4
Freedom Caucus leader
Vice Chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus
House Speaker Pro Tempore
Rep. Ann Lucas
Cheyenne - House District 43
Freedom Caucus member
Rep. Steve Johnson
Cheyenne - House District 8
Freedom Caucus member
Rep. Daniel Singh
Cheyenne - House District 61
Freedom Caucus follower
Natrona and Converse Counties
Rep. Tony Locke
Casper - House District 35
Freedom Caucus leader
Chairman of the House Revenue Committee
Rep. Jayme Lien
Casper - House District 38
Freedom Caucus follower
Rep.Kevin Campbell
Glenrock - House District 62
Freedom Caucus follower
Rep. Bill Allemand
Casper - House District 58
Freedom Caucus member
Rep. JR Riggins
Casper - House District 59
Freedom Caucus follower
Rep. Tomi Strock
Douglas - House District 6
Freedom Caucus follower
Sheridan and Johnson Counties
Rep. Ken Pendergraft
Sheridan - House District 29
Freedom Caucus leader
Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee
Rep. Laurie Bratten
Sheridan - House District 51
Freedom Caucus follower
Rep. Tom Kelly
Sheridan - House District 30
Freedom Caucus follower
Sweetwater, Lincoln, Sublette and Uinta Counties
Rep. Scott Heiner
Green River - House District 18
Freedom Caucus leader
House Majority Floor Leader
Rep. Darin McCann
Rock Springs - House District 48
Freedom Caucus follower
Sen. Laura Pearson
Kemmerer - Senate District 14
Freedom Caucus ally
Rep. Joe Webb
Rock Springs - House District 19
Freedom Caucus follower
Rep. Marlene Brady
Green River - House District 60
Freedom Caucus follower