Cheyenne Republicans protest against sex registry…

A registered sex offender is running for a seat on the Laramie County Community College board of trustees, and the local Republican Party isn’t happy about it.

Anthony Schmidt told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday that his campaign is about showing people that someone’s criminal past doesn’t have to define them forever.

“I am not the same man I was 22 years ago,” he said. “I have taken great steps to ensure that I am not that same man.”

Schmidt pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child in 2002.

Police arrested Schmidt, who was 24 at the time, after he arranged to meet online with an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old boy. When authorities intercepted Schmidt, he had condoms and lubricant in his pocket and admitted to having sex with another minor over a period of about four months.

After having his parole revoked twice, Schmidt was sentenced to four to 10 years in prison in 2011.

One of the revocations came when Schmidt was charged with soliciting another minor for sex in 2006. He was also kicked out of his sex offender treatment programs several times. In a 2011 letter, his probation officer expressed concern about the danger Schmidt posed to society because of his tendency to lie, minimize wrongdoing and allow a young person to live with him against his orders.

In 2018, Schmidt was released from prison.

He described his actions on Tuesday as those of someone “young and naive.”

How can he run?

That excuse is not accepted by the Laramie County Republican Party, which condemned Schmidt’s candidacy in a statement Tuesday.

“Schmidt’s decision to run for this critical position is a direct affront to our community values ​​and raises serious concerns regarding the safety of our schools and universities,” the party said.

Laramie County Republican Committeeman Dallas Tyrrell told Cowboy State Daily that Schmidt has already had some opportunities to redeem himself.

“He’s a repeat offender who is now trying to infiltrate a community college,” Tyrrell said. “Underage students attend classes there regularly.”

Nonviolent crimes in Wyoming encompass acts committed without physical violence. Charges considered violent crimes in Wyoming include murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, first- or second-degree sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, strangulation of a household member, aircraft hijacking, first- or second-degree arson, aggravated robbery, and repeat domestic violence offenses.

Under Wyoming law, nonviolent offenders automatically regain their right to vote if they completed supervision or were discharged from an institution in 2010 or later.

Schmidt regained his right to vote in 2018, the same year he completed his prison sentence.

In 2023, Schmidt regained all of his rights, including the right to serve on a jury, hold political office and own firearms — all new rights granted as a result of legislation passed earlier that year in Wyoming.

In addition to housing several high school students taking college classes, Laramie County Community College (LCCC) also operates a daycare center.

As a registered sex offender, Schmidt still has to stay 300 metres away from schools. But there is an exception to this rule when the offender is a student at a school.

That was the case for Schmidt, who graduated from LCCC in 2021. He believes a similar exemption could apply if he is elected as a trustee.

“When I was a student there, part of the requirements was to talk to campus security and the registrar’s office to make sure I was following the rules and doing what I needed to do to be safe around those particular people,” he said.

Redemption?

Schmidt, who is now married, said he has paid his debt to society and has learned and grown from his mistakes. He also said he was never charged again for what he was accused of when a judge revoked his probation.

“I broke my probation because I didn’t want to follow the rules of my probation, not because there was a new crime or charge,” Schmidt said.

But the probation officer filed a complaint against Schmidt, accusing him of again soliciting a minor for sex, this time when he was 28.

Schmidt said he understands the public’s concerns about his campaign, which he believes stem from misinformation about recidivism rates in society.

“They see the allegation and they think that’s all you are, that red mark is all you are,” Schmidt said. “We’re leaving out a lot of people who could be of great value to society and who have taken the steps necessary to move forward and be that productive person.”

Schmidt’s campaign might have gotten a little less attention if he had run for a non-school-related position, such as the city council or a planning and zoning board, but he specifically chose to run for the LCCC Board of Trustees because it is nonpartisan.

“I wanted to get into politics in a nonpartisan way, because party supporters get attacked more for their partisan banners than for their actual policy positions,” Schmidt said. “This is me speaking for myself, with my personal beliefs and values.”

He is also under no illusions about his chances of winning, which he considers “very slim.” Schmidt is one of seven candidates competing for four seats on the board of directors.

“I realize that I will be scrutinized even if I succeed, because if I make a mistake, it will not only affect me, but other people who are trying to improve their lives,” she said. “That is why I have to be above reproach.”

Partisanship

Tyrrell said the Laramie Republican Party has a duty to speak out publicly against Schmidt’s candidacy even though he is running for nonpartisan office.

“Regardless of the office, we have a duty to inform qualified voters about the candidates,” Tyrrell said. “Mr. Schmidt is running for a very important office and we have a duty to inform them about his background.”

Schmidt, who is registered as a Democrat, said he is concerned about the over-politicization of educational content at LCCC. He also wants to move the school away from an increasing reliance on online education.

He said it is hypocritical that the same group of people who oppose his campaign also support former President Donald Trump. who was found guilty of sexual assault and convicted of 34 felonies, and is awaiting possible charges for additional crimes. Trump has filed appeals on all of these convictions.

“Yet they will still target me, someone who has owned up to his bad decisions and served his time,” Schmidt said.

Laramie County Republican Party Chairman Taft Love said it’s simply about protecting children.

“Children are our most precious resource,” he said. “If we fail to protect them, we will have failed as a society.”

Leo Wolfson You can contact him at [email protected].