Why It Matters
Election integrity is a foundational concern for voters across Wyoming and the Mountain West, and the arrest of a sitting county clerk on felony charges related to the falsification of official election documents strikes at the core of public trust in local government. For Weston County residents who raised alarms about the 2024 general election results months ago, Wednesday’s arrest marks a significant escalation in a case that has dragged on since election night.
The charges signal that Wyoming officials are taking seriously the obligation of election administrators to follow proper procedures — and that falsifying post-election audits carries serious criminal consequences.
What Happened
Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock was arrested Wednesday after a special prosecutor brought additional felony-level charges against her related to her conduct during the 2024 general election, according to new court records. State investigators with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation found evidence that Hadlock knowingly filed a false post-election audit that reported zero errors among 75 sampled ballots.
A subsequent audit of the same ballots revealed 21 errors. Investigators also spoke with two witnesses who said they overheard Hadlock describe post-election audits as “stupid,” according to an affidavit signed by DCI Special Agent Matt Waldock.
Hadlock now faces one felony count of violating the election code as an official and one felony count of falsifying election documents. Each charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
The charges stem from an election-night error in which Hadlock used the wrong ballots, causing a dramatic undercount in the uncontested House District 1 race for Wyoming Speaker of the House Chip Neiman. A hand count and second audit eventually resolved the vote count, but concerns over the integrity of Hadlock’s initial post-election audit lingered — prompting the investigation that led to Wednesday’s arrest.
By the Numbers
- 0 — errors Hadlock certified in her initial post-election audit of 75 sampled ballots
- 21 — errors found when investigators conducted a subsequent audit of the same ballots
- 5 years — maximum prison sentence for each of the two felony charges Hadlock now faces
- 3 — total separate legal cases now pending against Hadlock
- Less than 1 week — time remaining before Hadlock is scheduled to stand trial in a separate removal-from-office proceeding
What Happened Before
This is the third legal case against Hadlock. A second case began in November 2025 when the Natrona County District Attorney’s office charged her with a misdemeanor for failing to appear at a legislative committee meeting in Casper after she was subpoenaed by state lawmakers. Her attorney had said in a pretrial memorandum filed last week that additional charges were anticipated before trial.
Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen is serving as special prosecutor in the removal case, acting after Governor Mark Gordon directed the Wyoming Attorney General’s office in January to seek Hadlock’s removal following a verified complaint from Weston County voters. The investigation itself was initiated after Weston County Sheriff Brian Colvard asked DCI to look into Hadlock — Colvard having first learned of the initial miscount when Secretary of State Chuck Gray contacted his office on election night after being unable to reach Hadlock directly.
The affidavit states that despite receiving explicit instructions from the Secretary of State’s office to visually compare ballot images to the Cast Vote Record, Hadlock certified that zero errors existed — this after Secretary of State Gray had already expressed concerns about the House District 1 results.
Zoom Out
The Hadlock case comes as Wyoming legislators have been paying closer attention to government accountability and official conduct. Wyoming lawmakers recently voted to expand ethics training following a separate campaign finance controversy, reflecting a broader push at the state level to hold public officials to a higher standard of conduct.
Across the Mountain West, concerns over the proper administration of elections have intensified since 2020, and cases like Hadlock’s — in which a local official allegedly falsified official records rather than acknowledge administrative errors — are likely to fuel further calls for stronger oversight of county-level election administration.
What’s Next
Hadlock’s trial in the removal-from-office case is scheduled to begin in less than a week. That proceeding will determine whether she should be stripped of her position as Weston County Clerk due to misconduct and malfeasance. The newly filed felony charges represent a parallel criminal track that could result in prison time if she is convicted.
Her attorney, Ryan Semerad, has been aware that additional charges were coming and filed a pretrial memorandum accordingly. No trial date has been announced for the new felony case.
About the Author
