By Ramsey Scott
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Via Wyoming News Exchange
CHEYENNE — Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier has denied an accusation that he made threats against a staff member in the state’s Human Resources Division.
According to documents from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, an investigation was started after it received a call March 21 from the Wyoming Human Resources Division about alleged threats made by Meier. The investigation was closed Friday without identifying any criminal violation.
The Highway Patrol documents stated Meier was agitated about other state agencies, including the state auditor’s and governor’s offices poaching his staff for higher-paying positions.
In the report, members of the human resources department said Meier was frustrated he wasn’t able to offer employees higher pay and classifications as a way to encourage them to stay.
“The issue he had with the Human Resource Division was he could not easily reclassify his existing positions to higher-level ones to compete with the higher salaries offered elsewhere,” the report read. “With the recent departure of Kathy Ramsey from the Treasurer’s Office, he became angry the Auditor’s Office could offer her a position two levels higher than anything he could offer her in his office.
“Believing he was being treated unfairly by the Human Resources Division, he stated he had already verbally beat up the department, but now he was going to have to do it physically.”
That statement is what prompted members of the Human Resources Division to call Highway Patrol and go into lockdown.
“Let me be clear – I unequivocally deny that I made any threat,” Meier said in a news release Tuesday. “My conversations with Human Resources have always been professional and, in fact, I have never even visited HR since my election.”
Deputy Treasurer Dawn Williams said she wasn’t at liberty to answer any follow-up questions, and the office wouldn’t be making any further statements.
The report also alleged Meier had a contentious confrontation with State Auditor Kristi Racines before the Capitol construction meeting March 21 about the employee poaching.
Racines said she wouldn’t comment on the report and considered the matter closed.
“I think I have a really good working relationship with (Meier) and hope to continue that in the future,” Racines said.
Meier, a Republican, was elected in 2018 as state treasurer, taking over from Gov. Mark Gordon, who had previously held the position. Meier had served in the state Senate from 1995 until this year.
