Reid Rasner Sues William Wilkinson for Defamation Per Se

Reid Rasner Files Defamation Suit Against Wyoming Labor Leader William Wilkinson

Reid Rasner filed a defamation lawsuit Sunday in Sweetwater County District Court against William Wilkinson, marking the seventh person the former political candidate has sued over online statements, cowboystatedaily.com reported. The complaint accuses Wilkinson of defamation per se, a legal classification requiring no proof of financial damage, alongside claims of tortious interference and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The Tech TL;DR:

• The Plaintiff: Reid Rasner, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2024 and finished fifth in the August House GOP primary.
• The Defendant: William Wilkinson, a Sweetwater County staff representative for United Steelworkers and the 2025 Wyoming AFL-CIO Labor Leader of the Year.
• The Claims: Defamation per se, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, and emotional distress over Facebook comments.

Facebook Comments Spark Legal Action in Sweetwater County

The court filing includes screenshots of Facebook comments posted by Wilkinson’s account under various Rasner social media posts. The remarks appeared beneath posts concerning Wyoming’s uranium reserves, federal interest rates, housing costs, and property tax relief. According to Rasner’s complaint, filed by Hawaii-based attorney Bill Fix, the comments repeatedly used the term “pedo” and accused Rasner of supporting pedophiles and emergency service cuts.

Wilkinson stated in a telephone interview that his Facebook page indicates his opinions are personal and not tied to any organization. After learning of the lawsuit, Wilkinson criticized the legal action as an attack on citizens exercising First Amendment rights, adding that Rasner ran a campaign of hatred and protected the “Epstein class.” Rasner maintains that the online statements caused him to lose financial advice clients due to a salacious gossip campaign.

Ongoing Defamation Litigation Across State and Federal Courts

The lawsuit against Wilkinson joins a broader slate of active legal challenges initiated by Rasner over similar online allegations. Rasner is currently pursuing a federal case in Missouri against civil rights attorney Kevin Baldwin and maintains active Wyoming state court actions against former state lawmakers Anthony Bouchard and Austin “Kit” Jennings, alongside divorced couple Dan Sabrosky and Michelle St. Louis. A previous federal case against Iowa resident Michael Cooley concluded with a public apology and settlement.

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