Attorney general says lawyers declined charges after Gray voter data complaint

Wyoming Attorney General Keith Kautz conducted two independent evaluations of a complaint filed by Cheyenne attorney George Powers against Secretary of State Chuck Gray. The complaint accused Gray of breaking state law in August by sharing driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers of every registered Wyoming voter with the U.S. Department of Justice. Kautz’s office created an internal ‘Chinese wall’ to separate the investigation, while an unnamed private law firm and a county prosecutor conducted the second review. Both evaluations concluded no criminal charges would be pursued. Powers filed the complaint in April, citing three state laws, including one making election code violations a felony and another requiring confidentiality of voter data. Gray defended the action as necessary for election integrity and claimed it was done in consultation with Kautz’s office. Powers has accused Kautz of a conflict of interest due to prior advice given to Gray and criticized the attorney general’s office for not publicly updating the complaint’s status. In early June, Powers petitioned the Wyoming Supreme Court to intervene, requesting Kautz recuse himself and appoint an independent prosecutor. The petition seeks a writ of mandamus, an extraordinary legal action requiring clear evidence of a duty to act and no alternative legal recourse. Casper-based attorneys Ryan Semerad and Rob Shively are representing Powers in the case. Kautz responded that the two independent evaluations fulfilled Powers’ requests for an unbiased review, though the attorney general did not disclose the findings until after Powers filed the Supreme Court petition. The Justice Department’s request for voter data in 2023 prompted Wyoming to become the first of 15 states to fully comply, despite privacy concerns raised by other states. Most states either provided redacted public records or refused to cooperate, citing the U.S. Constitution’s role in assigning election administration to states. Gray has maintained his decision was lawful and necessary for election security, while Powers continues to argue the data sharing violated Wyoming’s election laws. The Supreme Court’s decision on the mandamus petition could determine whether an independent investigation proceeds.