WY Senate Passes SF102 To Divest Foreign Adversaries From Land Near Military Bases and Critical Infrastructure; Rep. Nicholas Then Shoots Down SF102; Why?

• February 27, 2024

The Wyoming Senate pushed forward a proposal (by a vote of 24-7) to ban foreign ownership of critical infrastructure over to the House for consideration.

The bill — called Senate File 102 — emerged after a Cheyenne-based blockchain company filed a lawsuit year against Chinese companies that allegedly pushed it out of business.

Sean Murphy, who represents Bison Blockchain, testified Feb. 19 before a Senate committee that he supported the proposal because of how his company was mistreated.

Murphy claimed in his $22 million lawsuit against a conglomerate of Chinese companies that they exploited Wyoming’s business and land-use laws, and took advantage of state regulations to push locals out of business.

The proposal moved forward despite some trona miners in the Sweetwater County area that are largely owned by foreign entities.

Wyoming’s office of homeland security would designate the critical infrastructure and military installation zones where “prohibited foreign parties” shall not hold or acquire real estate.

Source: Cowboy State Daily

• March 4, 2024

Despite public concern and testimony, the Wyoming House Appropriations Committee Chairman, Rep. Bob Nicholas, sat back in his chair, gave a wry smile to the room, and watched as the House Appropriations did not move SF102 to a committee vote today. It was as if it had all been planned in advance.

What was Rep. Nicholas’s rationale for not moving SF 102 to a vote? ”It’s not good legislation,” he flatly said. “It (SF102) is just about a lawsuit, there’s no national security risk,” he was overheard saying to another legislator after the committee meeting. All this despite the Wyoming Senate passing SF102 a few days earlier by a vote of 24-7.

Prior to hearing public comments on SF102, the House Appropriations Committee passed SF77, dubbed the “toothless investigation tiger” by those who know and appreciate the differences between the two bills (SF102 and SF77). Following the committee meeting and its no show of support, Sean Murphy stated: “If you actually read SF77, you know it’s toothless. SF102 is being shot down without a vote — and SF77 is being advanced by certain politicians as a half measure — so they can point to SF77 and take credit for doing something, when in reality, they are doing nothing material to protect against known national security threats from foreign adversaries. Wyoming needs leaders who put our country and state before special interests and the political who-gets-credit game. We and many others are thoroughly disappointed by this from Representative Nicholas and the members of the House Appropriations Committee.”

• Background of Facts. Legislative process or conflicts of interest in highest positions of Wyoming’s legislature? You decide.

Nathan Nicholas is Rep. Bob Nicholas’s nephew. Nathan is a partner at the law firm Hathaway and Kunz. According to his biography, Nathan speaks Mandarin Chinese and has managed corporate ventures throughout China. Sean Larson and Kari Hartman, also of Hathaway and Kunz, represent MineOne in the ongoing litigation against Bison Blockchain.

Matt Kaufman is a senior partner at Hathaway and Kunz and represented YZY Capital. YZY Capital is a Chinese company owned and operated by Mr. Yuan Qian, a member of the Chinese Communist Party, as reported by the New York Times, that sold the Campstool property to MineOne, shortly after Bison Blockchain filed suit against MineOne.

Sean Murphy testified to Mr. Kaufman’s conflict of interest representing a member of the CPP (and his firm representing Chinese businesses and individuals connected to the CCP) while at the same time serving as a Governor appointed (i.e., non elected) member of the Wyoming Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology, Digital Innovation Technology (“Select Committee”).

“It’s a huge conflict of interest,” Murphy said.

Murphy has requested that Mr. Kaufman (and his law firm, Hathaway and Kunz), cease representing MineOne (and all its affiliates immediately), or, should he and his law partners choose to continue making money representing foreign adversaries connected to the CCP in Wyoming, Mr. Kaufman should then resign from his position on the Select Committee.

Mr. Kauffman has done neither. His firm, Hathaway and Kunz, continues making money from MineOne litigating against Bison Blockchain while Mr. Kaufman sits on the Select Blockchain influencing and advising Wyoming legislation, elected officials, and advocating on behalf of his firm’s and clients’ interests.