Wyoming House Investigative Committee Takes CheckGate Testimony

The special Wyoming House Investigative Committee set up to look into the giving out of campaign contribution checks on the House Floor earlier this month took testimony on Thursday evening.

The event, commonly referred to as "CheckGate,'' involved the handing out of checks on the floor of the Wyoming House by Rebecca Bextel of Jackson after the House adjourned for the day on Feb.9.

Bextel is a conservative activist and Teton County Republican committeewoman.

Lawmakers Deny Any Mention Of Legislation Votes Tied To The Checks

Several lawmakers testifying before the committee said they were told by Bextel that she had been volunteer fundraising for re-election campaigns of House members. But while some said they were not expecting to be given a check, all said there was no expectation of voting a certain way on legislation tied to the checks and that they were not accepting any kind of bribe.

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One of the lawmakers who testified before the committee, Rep. Darin McCann [R-Sweetwater County], said that on the evening of  Feb. 9 he was having a conversation on the floor of the House when Bextel showed up. When questioned as to whether he was surprised to see her, he answered "I didn't expect to see her."

McCann said that when Bextel handed him something "Did I expect it to be a check? No.."

But he says within a few seconds, he knew it was a check. Similarly to several other witnesses who testified, McCann said he never deposited the check. He also said there was no implied expectation that he would vote a certain way on legislation in return for the check.

Bextel herself told the committee that she just 'wafted in" to the floor of the House when the incident occurred, rather than it being something she had planned out. She also claimed that the incident has been blown out of proportion by people who are angry about a campaign she has mounted in Jackson against affordable house fees.

Several lawmakers who testified were questioned specifically about an implied vote in favor of House Bill 141, which would block such fees. All denied any mention of the bill when they were given the checks. While some recipients of the checks did vote in favor of the bill, it was also mentioned that they had voted in 2025 in favor of a similar bill which did not become law.

While there was no rule against accepting campaign contributions on the floor of the legislature at that time, both houses of the legislature and Governor Mark Gordon have since approved rules against the practice.

The committee is chaired by Rep. Art Washut [R-Natrona County]. Five  other Republicans sit on the committee: Reps. Martha Lawley, Justin Fornstrom, Marilyn Connolly, Ruben Tarver and Scott Heiner. Democrat Ivan Posey is also a committee member,

After taking almost five hours of testimony, the committee went into a closed session to discuss the matter. They are to issue a report on their findings in a few days.

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak announced a criminal investigation for possible bribery related to the event a couple of weeks ago. That investigation is separate from the House probe.

You can see a video of the entire hearing here.