Ammon Bundy testified in his own behalf in Federal Court in Oregon this week. He took the witness stand and his attorney, Marcus Mumford, questioned him.
Bundy and seven others are facing federal charges of carrying a firearm onto a Federal Wildlife Refuge in 2016, and intimidating Federal workers from doing their job. Bundy and his allies took over the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in southeast Oregon earlier this year, to protest the sentencing of two ranchers for arson for setting fire to weedy Federal lands.
This week, Ammon walked unafraid through the Valley of Sin that is US Federal Court, because he had his family Mormon Bible, and his pocket version of the Constitution beside him, or at least in his pocket(s).
He attempted to read from the Mormon Scriptures from the witness stand, but Federal Judge Anna Brown hushed him.
Bundy repeated his assertions that God came to him last January during an evening of soul-searching, and told him to take over the Refuge.
Bundy believes in part that God gave the Western United States to his Mormon ancestors to settle, therefore God continues to support any activity that Bundy and his ilk undertakes to support Mormon-style farming and ranching, and to increase “freedom.”
Bundy’s testimony creates legal dangers for him.
The judge had previously restricted testimony about Bundy recruiting an armed militia in 2014 to face down federal workers in Bunkerville, Nevada, for which Bundy currently faces federal criminal charges in an upcoming Nevada trial.
Judge Brown was seeking to prevent prejudice against Bundy for his Nevada felonies, from tainting his ongoing trial for Oregon felonies. At one point Bundy’s attorney, leapt to his feet, screamed accusations, and pointed his finger at Federal Judge Brown, for limiting Bundy’s testimony and use of exhibits about Bunkerville.
But Bundy, as part of his Oregon testimony, opened the proceedings to discussing the Nevada events.
Bundy’s testimony also exposed him to Government questions about his Oregon antics. The federal prosecutor cross-examined Bundy, and he admitted many elements of the charges against him, agreeing he intended to take over the Refuge, for instance.
He attempted to wriggle away from accusations he was a leader of the takeover, asserted he only intended to take over the Refuge with a legal tactic called “Adverse Possession,” and they brought firearms as protection against being arrested.
Here is a link to the Oregonian’s trial reporting this week.
www.oregonlive.com/...