Ammon Bundy

Ammon Bundy

Ammon Bundy during the occupation on January 23, 2016.
Born Ammon Edward Bundy
(1975-09-01) September 1, 1975[1][2]
Bunkerville, Nevada, United States
Residence Emmett, Idaho
Nationality American
Occupation Car fleet manager[3]
Known for
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 210 lb (95 kg)[4]
Political party Republican[5]
Religion The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)[1][6]
Spouse(s) Lisa Bundy[7]
Children 6[7]

Ammon Edward Bundy (born September 1, 1975)[2] is an American car fleet manager[8] and anti-government protester who led armed protesters in the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

He is the son of Cliven Bundy, who was the central figure of the Bundy standoff in 2014.

Early life and Bundy standoff

Bundy was born in 1975 in Nevada to Cliven and his first wife Jane Marie Brown Bundy. He resided in Phoenix, Arizona before moving to Idaho. He has six siblings, including Ryan (born 1972) and Mel (born 1974), who both participated in the occupation.[9][10] He has seven half-siblings from Cliven Bundy's second wife, Carol Turner Bundy.[11] Bundy owns a truck repair company and was listed as a member of several Arizona companies. Prior to the occupation, he had lost a home in a short sale and was behind on his property taxes.[10]

On April 10, 2014, after protesters surrounded a civilian driving a Bureau of Land Management truck, Bundy was tasered by federal agents. Arizona state representative Kelly Townsend said of the incident, "Watching that video last night created a visceral reaction in me."[12][13]

2016 militant occupation

Prelude to the occupation

Bundy in 2014.

In 2015, ranchers Dwight and Steve Hammond were sentenced to five years for two counts of arson on federal land.[14] By late 2015, the Hammond case had attracted the attention of Ammon and Ryan Bundy. Although the ranchers rejected Bundy's assistance,[15] Bundy decided to lead an armed occupation of the headquarters area of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on January 2, 2016. He referred to his group as the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom and remarked that it could be a lengthy stay.[16]

Occupation

Bundy's father Cliven said he was not involved in the occupation, stating that it was "not exactly what I thought should happen".[17]

Early in the standoff, a Twitter user claiming to be Bundy tweeted a statement, comparing the group to civil rights activist Rosa Parks. The account was later found to be a hoax.[18] Despite this, other involved militants have made comparisons with Parks.[19]

Arrest and legal proceedings

Bundy speaking to a FBI negotiator via speaker phone on January 21.

On January 26, federal authorities arrested Ammon Bundy, his brother Ryan, and three other militants involved in the occupation, following a shootout that killed another militant, LaVoy Finicum.[20][21][22][23] They each faced a single federal felony count of conspiracy to impede officers of the U.S. from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats — an offense attracting a sentence of up to ten years' imprisonment.[24][25]

On January 27, Bundy, through his lawyer, urged those remaining at the refuge to stand down and go home.[26]

On January 29, Bundy appeared before a judge alongside several other jailed militants. He stood in court and explained the motives of the occupation to the judge, saying that "[his] only goal from the beginning was to protect freedom for the people." However, he and the other militants were denied bail, with the judge saying she would not release them while the occupation continues.[27][28][29] That same day, he offered to plead guilty to the federal conspiracy charge alone, in exchange for the dismissal of the other charges against him, the dismissal of all of the charges filed against the other militants in custody at the time, and letting militants still at the refuge to leave peacefully without arrest. However, prosecutors rejected the offer.[30][31] Bundy has since repeatedly urged any militants remaining at the refuge to stand down and go home.[26][32]

In a March 3 interview, Bundy described his life in prison and continued to explain his motives of the occupation. He also asserted that Finicum had been cooperating with officers before his shooting death.[33]

On March 9, Bundy was also charged with a variety of counts, including possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in federal facilities, and use and carry of firearms in relation to a crime of violence — an offense that incurs a sentence of five years minimum to life, consecutive.[34][35] In addition, he was indicted separately for his role in the Bundy standoff.[36] On April 16, he and four other militants, including his brother Ryan, refused to enter pleas in regards to their roles in the Bundy standoff, prompting U.S. Magistrate Judge George Foley, Jr. to enter not guilty pleas for them.[37]

The trial for Bundy and the other militants is scheduled to start on September 7.[38] His legal team previewed their defense strategy, which would rely on the argument that the federal government doesn't actually have jurisdiction of federal land, as they lost the right to own the land inside of Oregon once it became a state.[31]

Bundy's legal team has been accused of organizing a social media harassment campaign against the public agencies involved in evidence gathering and prosecution of the case, and in particular the Oregon State Police.[39][40] The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that sovereign citizen movement members also attempted to insert themselves into the case, filing a flurry of paperwork in a tactic common to the movement known as paper terrorism.[41] His legal team is also facing ethics complaints regarding attempts to influence the potential jury pool unduly[42] and for possible ethical violations involving visits by the law firm to Bundy and his cohorts prior to their arrest offering legal services.[43]

Personal life

Bundy has a wife, Lisa, as well as three daughters and three sons from the ages of 1 to 13. He also has 46 nieces and nephews.[7][33][44] They own a 5,102 square feet (474 m2) home in Emmett, Idaho.[45] On January 28, Lisa Bundy reiterated her husband's statements in an audio-recording, urging the remaining militants to follow his wishes and return home to their families.[46]

References

  1. 1 2 Siemaszko, Corky (January 4, 2016). "Meet Ammon and Ryan Bundy, the Activists Leading the Oregon Standoff". NBC News. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "United States District Court for the District of Oregon". Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  3. ↑ Ellis, Ralph; Yan, Holly; Sidner, Sara (January 11, 2016). "Leader of armed protesters in Oregon took out $530,000 federal loan". CNN. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Booking Information for Ammon Bundy". Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  5. ↑ Resnick, Gideon; Suebsaeng, Asawin (January 1, 2016). "Who the Hell Is Ammon Bundy, the Oregon Militia Ringleader?". The Daily Beast (United States).
  6. ↑ Sepulvado, John (January 3, 2016). "Explainer: The Bundy Militia’s Particular Brand Of Mormonism". OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting). Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 The Oregonian Staff (January 22, 2016). "Faces of the Malheur occupation: Meet the militants and their visitors". The Oregonian (OregonLive.com). Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  8. ↑ Nagourney, Adam (April 24, 2014). "A Defiant Rancher Savors the Audience That Rallied to His Side". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  9. ↑ Wolf, Carissa; Holley, Peter; Lowery, Wesley (January 3, 2016). "Armed men, led by Bundy brothers, take over federal building in rural Oregon". The Washington Post (Washington, D.C.). Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  10. 1 2 Brosseau, Carli (January 5, 2016). "Who are the Oregon wildlife refuge occupiers?". Oregon Live. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Cliven D. Bundy Family Tree". GeneaNet. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  12. ↑ Brean, Henry (April 10, 2014). "Bundy vs. BLM: Interest in cattle dispute widens". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  13. ↑ Miller, Dan; Keneally, Meghan; Gorman, Ryan (April 11, 2014). "Moment federal agents tasered son of last Nevada rancher caught on tape as critics accuse officers of acting like they're in 'Tiananmen Square' in fight over right to graze land". Daily Mail. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  14. ↑ Friedersdorf, Conor (5 January 2016). "Oregon and the Injustice of Mandatory Minimums". The Atlantic. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  15. ↑ Stack, Liam (January 2, 2016). "Militiamen Occupy Oregon Wildlife Refuge in Protest of Ranchers' Prison Terms". The New York Times. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  16. ↑ Moore, Wanda; Lerten, Barney (January 4, 2016) [1st pub. January 3, 2016]. "Militia leader explains takeover, says group has name: Calling selves ‘Citizens for Constitutional Freedom’". Bend, Oregon: KTVZ. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016.
  17. ↑ Wilson, Jason (January 3, 2016). "Oregon militia threatens showdown with US agents at wildlife refuge". The Guardian. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ Raymond, Laurel (January 6, 2016). "How A Racist Troll Pretended To Be Ammon Bundy On Twitter And Punked Most Of The Media". ThinkProgress. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  19. ↑ Yardley, William (January 16, 2016). "Two weeks in, the Oregon refuge standoff is stuck 'in limbo'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  20. ↑ Johnson, Alex; Blankstein, Andrew (January 26, 2016). "Oregon Occupation Leaders Ammon and Ryan Bundy Arrested, One Dead". NBC News. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  21. ↑ Woolington, Rebecca (January 26, 2016). "Pete Santilli: Militants supporter says Ammon Bundy in custody". The Oregonian (OregonLive.com). Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  22. ↑ KATU.com Staff (January 26, 2016). "Leader of Oregon occupation Ammon Bundy, at least 8 others detained". KATU News: On Your Side. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  23. ↑ Zaitz, Les (January 26, 2016). "Oregon standoff spokesman Robert 'LaVoy' Finicum killed, Bundys in custody after gunfight near Burns". Oregon Live. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  24. ↑ "1 killed as Ammon Bundy, 4 others arrested in Oregon amid shots fired – FBI". Russia Today. January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  25. ↑ Bernstein, Maxine (March 9, 2016). "New six-count indictment unsealed in Malheur refuge occupation case". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  26. 1 2 "Ammon Bundy Tells Supporters to 'Go Home and Hug Your Families'". NBC Los Angeles. January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  27. ↑ Bernstein, Maxine (January 29, 2016). "Judge won't release Oregon standoff defendants as long as refuge occupation continues". Oregon Live. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Feds keep Bundy, militia in jail until trial". KOIN. Associated Press. January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  29. ↑ Ellis, Ralph; Sidner, Sara; Castillo, Mariano (January 29, 2016). "Oregon standoff suspects denied bond". CNN. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  30. ↑ Bernstein, Maxine (April 27, 2016). "Ammon Bundy offered to plead guilty to federal conspiracy after arrest, lawyer says". Oregon Live. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  31. 1 2 "Ammon Bundy offered guilty plea if armed Oregon protesters were let go". RT. April 28, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  32. ↑ Azar, Kellee (February 1, 2016). "Bundy repeats call for occupiers to leave; reports that power, internet are out at refuge". KATU. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  33. 1 2 Bernstein, Maxine (March 3, 2016). "Ammon Bundy says jail 'most difficult thing I've ever done'". Oregon Live. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  34. ↑ "New charges added for Bundys, other militia". KOIN News. March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Ammon Bundy, Others Face Weapons Charge With Possibility Of Life Sentence". Talking Points Memo. Associated Press. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  36. ↑ Haas, Ryan; Wilson, Conrad (February 17, 2016). "Bundy Family, Supporters Face 16 Federal Felonies For 2014 Standoff". Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  37. ↑ Uria, Daniel (April 16, 2016). "Ammon Bundy, others refuse to enter pleas in 2014 Nevada standoff". UPI. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  38. ↑ Wilson, Conrad (April 6, 2016). "Malheur Refuge Occupiers' Trial Date Set For Sept. 7". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  39. ↑ Bernstein, Maxine (April 26, 2016). "More state bar complaints filed against Ammon Bundy's lawyer, critical of social media crowdsourcing". Oregon Live. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  40. ↑ Markus, Bethania Palma (April 27, 2016). "Bundy lawyer urged supporters to harass officials with flood of frivolous records requests". Raw Story. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  41. ↑ Morlin, Bill (April 7, 2016). "Federal Judge Blocks Sovereign-Styled ‘Lawyers’ From Oregon Occupation Case". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  42. ↑ Moran, Jack (February 26, 2016). "District attorney files Oregon State Bar complaint against Eugene lawyers representing Ammon Bundy". The Register-Guard. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  43. ↑ Bernstein, Maxine (February 8, 2016). "Ammon Bundy's lawyers deny breaking legal ethics rule with refuge visit". Oregon Live. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  44. ↑ Fuller, Jaime; Blake, Aaron (April 14, 2014). "The long fight between the Bundys and the federal government, from 1989 to today". The Washington Post (Washington, D.C.). Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  45. ↑ "Ammon Bundy owns house in Emmett". Idaho Press-Tribune. January 6, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  46. ↑ Bernstein, Maxine (January 28, 2016). "Ammon Bundy's wife makes a recorded plea, telling those at Malheur refuge to go home". Oregon Live. Retrieved January 29, 2016.

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