Wyoming Game and Fish Department commissioner replaced

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (AP) - Gov. Mark Gordon has appointed a Lincoln County court clerk to fill a vacancy on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department commission that was created when Gordon removed Mike Schmid earlier this week.

The Jackson Hole News&Guide reports Kenneth D. Roberts will serve the rest of Schmidt's term, which expires in 2023. If confirmed by the state Senate, Roberts will represent a district encompassing Lincoln, Teton, Sublette and Uinta counties.

Gordon said earlier this week that Schmid had "unfortunately exhibited a pattern of actions and statements that undermined the decisions and effectiveness of the board." Schmid attended a Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., shortly before the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, but the Republican governor said that wasn't the reason Schmid was dismissed.

Schmid said in a Facebook post Monday that he was removed due to his "outspoken thoughts." He also wrote that he did not believe Trump was responsible for the "craziness" that day, the newspaper reported.

"I wasn't a good enough team player, I was told by a fellow commissioner, which evidently made it hard for the commission to carry a consistent message," Schmid wrote in the post.

Gordon has called the riot an "assault on democracy."