Recently released campaign finance reports show that political action committees from other states are spending tens of thousands of dollars on campaigns in Wyoming.
This is in addition to Spending by two PACs in the state They represented both factions of the Wyoming Republican Party, the Freedom Caucus and the Wyoming Caucus, which also raised thousands.
The Make Liberty Win PAC based in Virginia spent just over $370,000 to support some candidates and attack others. The PAC has stated that it is “committed to electing 250 liberty-defending state legislators.”
The money was used for SMS, phone calls and Mailer to voters in Wyoming.
Many of these mailers contained misinformationsuch as providing false dates for early voting and a false photo of a state representative. This was discovered through a WyoFile investigation.
Make Liberty Win has spent nearly $7,500 to help Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R-Cody) with text messages and phone calls to constituents, who is backed by the far-right Wyoming House Freedom Caucus.
At the same time, they spent nearly $9,200 using the same methods to target current House Speaker Albert Sommers (R-Pinedale).
Sommers was a frequent critic of the Freedom Caucus.
Virginia-based Make Liberty Win is primarily funded by a libertarian student activist organization in Texas that Young Americans for Freedom.
Another financial report was published this week shows that Denver-based Western Way Action PAC spent $47,800 in the Cowboy State. Its website says it “supports conservative leaders and common-sense policies that create economic development opportunities, promote free-market principles and advance real solutions.”
This money was used to air advertisements supporting some incumbent candidates in the election for the Board of Carbon County Commissioners.
However, at least one candidate posted on social media last week that the emails had been sent without his knowledge or permission.
This candidate, Sue Ellis Jones, said on Facebook“It’s sad that the tactics of national politics have now reached the local level. A last-minute campaign storm is not fair to the other candidates.”
The Wyoming primary will take place on August 20.
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, which supports coverage of state government. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio partner to cover state issues both on the radio and online.
