Ammon Bundy, right wing extremist and domestic terrorist, popped up on YouTube recently. You all may recall that Bundy is on the run to avoid paying $50 million he owes to St Luke’s Health System because he defamed that organization. Bundy found the time to livestream on YouTube to explain why he needed to run and threatening those involved in collecting any money from him. And yes, the court system is still not taking Bundy seriously. Another arrest warrant was issued for Bundy, BUT the judge in that case still made it possible for Bundy to make bail. This despite the fact that he is in trouble for NOT SHOWING UP TO COURT!
First up, the livestream lies and threats:
Bundy, an anti-government agitator who gained notoriety after standoffs with law enforcement, was ordered to pay more than $50 million to St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center after a judge ruled he defamed the hospital.
In a rambling YouTube livestream this week, Bundy claimed St. Luke’s “took all the money out of my wife’s account” as well as his son’s as part of the collection process.
Uh huh. I would think this is part and parcel of collecting from Ammon Bundy, but it’s also possible that Bundy is lying his ass off about St Luke’s taking money from his son.
As for the threats:
He repeatedly singled out Chris Roth, the CEO of St. Luke’s Health System, suggesting Roth was part of a nefarious plot against him.
“I’m doing everything I can not to just retaliate against these people. I have been so peaceful. And they keep pushing me, and pushing me, and pushing me. You know, wanting me to do something so that they can arrest me and put me in prison or kill me. That’s what they’re trying to do,” he said.
“I’m almost about ready to say, you know, all those people I’ve said ‘don’t do anything to these people… don’t do anything, it’s not right to retaliate.’ I’m almost ready to say, ‘You know what? The hell with it,’” he said.
So if I have to shoot Chris Roth, it’s because he is part of a nefarious plot. Well, I won’t shoot Chris Roth. I’ll just throw his name around for one of my supporters to go and shoot him instead. Just reminder, I’m a peaceful man who Roth and others is trying to kill!
Bundy took aim at conservatives and the Freedom Movement—both of which had derided Bundy for leaving the state, he said—along with bank tellers, a “wicked” judge, a local sheriff and his deputies all of whom worked against Bundy after he was found to be at fault.
“The Freedom Movement want to condemn me for leaving Idaho but the problem is I could not find people who would stand and stop what was happening to my family and the same goes with you know the sheriff,” he said.
Bundy also railed against bank tellers and others he said had complied with orders from the judge who oversaw his defamation trial.
“As soon as some wicked judge, under the hands of some wicked attorneys, as soon as they say ‘hey give us that person’s property and that person’s money’ they just give it to them,” Bundy said. “This is the situation we’re in: no one will fight for anybody else, that’s why I had to leave Idaho.”
For any of the people who are still stupid enough to support me, please go out and kill the judge, local sheriff and his deputies, and all those wicked bank tellers for me too.
For those who do not remember how Ammon Bundy got to this point, here is a little reminder of the terror he brought to St Luke’s Hospital:
St. Luke’s Systems sued Bundy, and his associate Diego Rodriguez and groups linked to them in a civil lawsuit for defamation, after a protest outside one of the health giants’ clinics in March of 2022.
When Bundy led a series of tense protests against the hospitalization of one of his associate’s infant grandchildren, who state social workers said was malnourished. According to court documents, protesters, some armed, tried to force their way into the hospital’s locked exits. Some held “wanted” signs naming individual doctors and nurses and even blocked an ambulance entrance as car horns blared.
Emphasis is mine.
As for the new arrest warrant issued against Bundy:
ADA COUNTY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — A new arrest warrant has been issued for former Gubernatorial candidate Ammon Bundy after skipping the first day of trial in his case against St. Luke’s which was set to start on December 18, 2023.
According to court documents, this trial would have focused on contempt of court charges that were requested by attorneys representing St. Luke’s Health Systems, and several other medical professionals, who were awarded nearly $52 Million in damages on August 29, 2023.
Bundy refused to turn over any money to St Luke’s, and he also refused to take down from the internet lies he told about that organization. There was supposed to be a civil and criminal contempt of court trial, but Bundy blew that off and left the state instead. The judge in this case issued a new arrest warrant, but the judge said the new bond for Bundy was going up to $250,000.
What part of “I’m not going to show up for trial ever!” did the judge not get from Bundy? This is a man with a long track record of breaking the law. And he is on the run. By definition, if Bundy came up with bail money, he would still split!
Correct me if I am wrong, but there is now a criminal element to this latest trial. Therefore, I would think in my own non-lawyer way that you might be able to jail a defendent who has fled. But what do I know about the law?