Nevada Rancher Cliven Bundy Charged With Conspiracy, Extortion
This story by Rachel Monahan was originally posted on the Willamette Week website.
Arrested Thurday, Bundy faces multiple charges for his standoff with federal authorities over unpaid grazing fees.
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy was charged Thursday with six federal felony counts, including conspiracy, use of a deadly weapon, obstruction of justice, and extortion.
Bundy, whose sons Ammon and Ryan Bundy led the political protest of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, was not charged for his involvement in the Eastern Oregon takeover—but for leading a 2014 armed standoff with federal authorities in Nevada over unpaid grazing fees totaling $1 million.
The rancher was charged with “leading a massive armed assault” against federal agents who were planning to seize his cattle. The federal officials backed away from a confrontation at the time.
Bundy was arrested Wednesday night when he arrived at Portland International Airport to visit his sons, Ammon and Ryan Bundy, and to visit the Malheur occupation, which he has encouraged. He has joined his sons in lockup.
Here is the full criminal complaint, released this morning.
It’s unclear how the case against Cliven Bundy will overlap with the federal trial of Ammon Bundy and his followers, who squatted in federal buildings in Eastern Oregon last month.
But the intersection has already drawn at least one anti-government protester to downtown Portland, as Leah Sottile reports on Twitter.
Ammon Bundy, and his brother Ryan, were arrested on January 26th, along highway 395 north of Burns. This is the same incident in which LaVoy Finicum was shot multiple times by FBI and Oregon State Police. Several others were arrested with Bundy, and two have been released on bail.
Cliven Bundy attended Finicum’s Funeral, along with several thousand people, in Kanab, Utah on February 5, 2016.