Photograph shows conservative activist handing slip to Darin McCann and Marlene Brady holding a similar paper

Photograph shows conservative activist handing slip to Darin McCann and Marlene Brady holding a similar paper

Controversy has engulfed Wyoming’s state legislature after a conservative activist was photographed handing checks to Republican lawmakers on the state house floor, in an incident that has highlighted intra-conservative divisions and the role of money in the Cowboy state’s politics.

The political storm started on 9 February, when Karlee Provenza, a Democratic lawmaker, took a photo showing Rebecca Bextel, a conservative activist and committeewoman for the Teton county Republican party, handing a check to Darin McCann, a Republican representative, on the legislative floor. Marlene Brady, another Republican representative, stands in the photo’s background, a similar piece of paper pinched between her fingers.

“You have a person from the richest county in the country coming down to Cheyenne to hand out checks on the house floor,” Provenza said. “I have never seen something so egregious.”

      • ieatpwns@lemmy.world
        5·
        2 hours ago

        A gratuity is just a bribe after the fact

        “good job voting my way. keep it up and there will be more checks like this”

        just because a packed court said gratuities are fine doesn’t mean it’s fine

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
        4·
        4 hours ago

        Assuming they’re Americans talking, it’s basically impossible to get convicted of defamation against a politician here. Like, it’s genuinely impressive that Candice Owens is managing it. It requires you make statements that are defamatory to them, presented as clear statements of fact, and display reckless disregard for the truth. And in edge cases courts tend to lean with free speech over defamation. That’s just for any public figure, for politicians the courts are even more cautious to avoid chilling political speech.