Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has decided not to move forward with the removal of Hot Springs County Commissioners Paul Galovich and Robert Aguiar after reviewing a complaint filed by county electors and information gathered through investigations by both the governor’s office and the Wyoming Attorney General.
The complaint, filed Sept. 10, 2025, by six qualified electors of Hot Springs County, alleged misconduct and malfeasance by Galovich and Aguiar and requested their removal from office.
In his decision, Gordon sharply criticized several actions taken by the commissioners, writing that their failure to obtain properly authorized legal representation was “at best impetuous and at worst precarious.” He also said their decision to reopen the matter despite repeated warnings from a fellow board member and county staff appeared to be a significant lapse in judgment.
Even so, Gordon concluded the conduct, while deeply troubling, did not rise to the level of misconduct or malfeasance necessary to justify removal. In his written decision, the governor said there was “much to find wrong” with the actions of the board and others involved, but several factors weighed against recommending removal at this time.
Among those factors, Gordon said investigators found no evidence supporting allegations of bias or conflict of interest, noted that the courts had already played the appropriate role in the dispute, and said there was no continuing pattern of misconduct. He also pointed out that, for one of the commissioners, voters will soon have an electoral remedy available.
The decision closes out a months-long review of the complaint and leaves the two Hot Springs County commissioners in office despite what Gordon described as serious errors in judgment.