CHEYENNE 性视界传媒 Reid Rasner, a Wyoming businessman with ambitions to purchase TikTok and former U.S. Senate candidate, filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday against former Wyoming state Sen. Anthony Bouchard.
Bouchard has previously made social media posts alleging sexual misconduct by Rasner. In a draft of the complaint Rasner filed in court, Rasner calls these allegations false and argues it has and will continue to cause him personal and economic damage.
In a screenshot of a Facebook comment section Rasner sent the WTE from May 6, 2024, Bouchard said of Rasner on Facebook, 性视界传媒渉e性视界传媒檚 just another phony. Ask him about his student sexual abuse record when he taught Drama classes.性视界传媒
Bouchard wrote another comment, saying he spoke to a parent about this and learned Rasner 性视界传媒渟icked (sic) his attorney on the parent性视界传媒 and wrote, 性视界传媒渢oo bad the school covered it up.性视界传媒
The comments appear to have been deleted at the time of publication, and the WTE was unable to verify the authenticity of the screenshots prior to publication.
性视界传媒淚 won性视界传媒檛 let this go unchallenged. I性视界传媒檝e spent my life building businesses and serving my community with integrity,性视界传媒 Rasner said in a press release. 性视界传媒淲hat Bouchard did wasn性视界传媒檛 just a smear 性视界传媒 it was a lie designed to ruin me. This lawsuit is about more than clearing my name 性视界传媒 it性视界传媒檚 about standing up to the politics of personal destruction.性视界传媒
Rasner性视界传媒檚 complaint indicates that after earning an associate性视界传媒檚 degree in theater from Casper College, he earned a B.A. in English literature with a minor in history from the University of Wyoming.
In an email, a member of Rasner性视界传媒檚 staff wrote, 性视界传媒淢r. Rasner was not a 性视界传媒楧rama Instructor性视界传媒 at Casper College.性视界传媒 The staff member also said Rasner was a student at Casper College and did one semester of work study, but was never a professor or instructor.
The court filing calls Bouchard性视界传媒檚 comments 性视界传媒渄eliberately false and defamatory,性视界传媒 adding that Bouchard knew the comments were false or made the communications 性视界传媒渨ith malice and reckless disregard as to whether the communications were false.性视界传媒
The alleged defamation is rooted in a Facebook post from Bouchard on May 6, 2024. The image in the post is a headshot of Rasner below the words, 性视界传媒淚f only his personnel file from his time while employed at Casper College was part of his political resume. It性视界传媒檚 all by design.性视界传媒
At the time of publication, the post has garnered 33 comments, 82 reactions and 21 shares across the platform.
When the post was made, Bouchard was a sitting Republican senator in the Wyoming Legislature from Cheyenne representing District 6, which covers portions of Laramie and Platte counties.
Bouchard could not be reached for comment about the defamation suit prior to publication.
Rasner, who ran as a Republican to challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. John Barrasso last year, writes in his complaint filed in Laramie County District Court that Bouchard fabricated the social media messages entirely to discredit, defame and further harm him.
He argues the alleged defamation has caused irreparable damage to his personal and professional reputation, 性视界传媒渨hich has now forever been tarnished.性视界传媒
In addition to a tarnished public image and emotional distress, Rasner asserts the comments have caused economic damage, including loss of past and future earnings, and loss of prospective economic advantage and opportunity.
In February, Rasner announced a nearly $50 billion bid to purchase TikTok, a social media app with around 1.8 billion monthly users, according to some estimates. Other bidders include Amazon, Oracle, Perplexity and Microsoft.
According to a press release from Rasner, 性视界传媒淭he attacks (from Bouchard) came as Rasner is vying to complete a major business acquisition and building momentum in the public arena.性视界传媒
An April 2024 act, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, ordered ByteDance Ltd., the TikTok app性视界传媒檚 Chinese parent company, to divest or be banned from operating in the U.S. within nine months. Last month, President Donald Trump extended the deadline for a third time, moving the deadline to mid-September.
Rasner is also the founder and CEO of an investment management firm in Casper, Omnivest, and has worked as the owner of a glass company and as a Realtor.
