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Posted on 12/23/2017 9:03:42 PM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
WASHINGTON -- As Washington conservatives question whether partisan FBI officials working for Special Counsel Robert Mueller have stacked the deck against President Donald Trump, a criminal case in Las Vegas points to the sort of federal prosecutorial abuses that give the right cause for paranoia.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro declared a mistrial in the infamous 2014 Bunkerville standoff case against rancher Cliven Bundy, his sons Ammon and Ryan, and co-defendant Ryan Payne, on the grounds that federal prosecutors improperly withheld evidence.
The standoff, in which both sides were armed, was a national news story that pitted a Western rancher against federal officialdom. Bureau of Land Management officials had tried to seize Bundy's cattle following a decades-long dispute over grazing fees. The rancher had stopped paying federal grazing fees in 1993 to protest a BLM directive that he cut back on cattle grazing in order to accommodate the threatened desert tortoise.
In the course of the trial, Navarro found that prosecutors failed to share video surveillance, maps and FBI interview reports with defense attorneys. "A mistrial in this case is the most suitable and only remedy available," Navarro explained.
As the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, the judge stressed that she did not want her decision to be seen as a signal that the defendants are not guilty.
Navarro's decision apparently was a reflection on federal officials. It follows release of a memo by BLM investigator Larry Wooten that described "a widespread pattern of bad judgment, lack of discipline, incredible bias, unprofessionalism and misconduct, as well as likely policy, ethical and legal violations among senior and supervisory staff" in the BLM's Office of Law Enforcement and Security.
Wooten wrote that he had seen "excessive force," described officers grinding Bundy's son Dave's face in gravel and opined that federal officials were intent on commanding "the most intrusive, oppressive, large scale and militaristic cattle impound possible."
In an apparently partisan reference that used a term Hillary Clinton designated for some of Trump's supporters, Wooten wrote that a federal prosecutor said, let's get these "shall we say Deplorables."
(Likewise FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who worked on Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, shared texts in which they called Trump a "loathsome human." Mueller removed Strzok after he learned of the texts.)
Wooten also wrote that the Bundy case "closely mirrors" the circumstances behind the trial of former Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.
In 2008, federal prosecutors indicted Stevens, a Republican senator, for failing to report that an oil contractor had paid for renovations on his Alaska cabin. A jury convicted Stevens, who lost the re-election.
Only later did the case fall apart after a Department of Justice probe found prosecutors had withheld exculpatory evidence. Attorney General Eric Holder, who inherited the case after President Barack Obama won the White House, asked the courts to throw out the conviction.
Wooten is no fan of Cliven Bundy who, he wrote, instead of "properly using the court system or other avenues to properly address his grievances, he chose an illegal, uncivilized and dangerous strategy in which a tragedy was narrowly and thankfully avoided."
Tragedy was not averted in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon last year when law enforcement shot and killed Robert "LaVoy" Finicum during a Bundy-inspired showdown.
"Clearly Bundy should not be made out to be some kind of hero," observed Jim Burling, vice president of the property-rights oriented Pacific Legal Foundation. "But BLM and DOJ are doing everything they can to turn Bundy into some kind of martyr and they're giving him far more credibility than he should be given."
Attorney General Jeff Sessions takes the matter seriously. According to spokesman Ian Prior, Sessions "personally directed that an expert in the Department's discovery obligations be deployed to examine the case and advise as to next steps."
As for the Justice Department, said Burling, "If they want to enforce the law, they should look at the mirror first."
The same hateful people who stand on a street corner, call people racist and sexist, protest, and riot, also sometimes work in local, state, and federal government and use those positions to further their hate. Lois Lerner comes to mind.
This is why small government is absolutely essential to having a free country. I can tell you I largely do not trust the people in charge of this country not only at the highest levels in the Federal government (i.e. elected officials) but also many of those who work in the ‘deep state’ offices that affect our lives every day.
JoMa
‘”Clearly Bundy should not be made out to be some kind of hero,” observed Jim Burling, vice president of the property-rights oriented Pacific Legal Foundation.’
no mr burling. “clearly” that’s exactly what the Bundys, and the Finicums and all those citizens brave enough to risk life, limb and property to defend our Constitution with peaceful civil protest against the naked fist of our now corrupt federal gov’t and court system—they are heros.
and based on that statement, mr burling, i will no longer be supporting PLF.
“Wooten is no fan of Cliven Bundy who, he wrote, instead of “properly using the court system or other avenues to properly address his grievances, he chose an illegal, uncivilized and dangerous strategy in which a tragedy was narrowly and thankfully avoided.””
Yeah, I just imagine that the Bundy’s attempts at “addressing their grievances” didn’t go so well using “the stacked deck, that is our court system today.” Then the BLM armed thugs showed up, killed some of his cattle, and then were surprised when they faced a line of patriots armed with AR15’s. The BLM thugs should be thankful that they all didn’t go home in body bags. The “tragedy” was all of the government’s making.
If you would like more information about what's happening in Oregon, please FReepmail me.
Please send me your name by FReepmail if you want to be on this list.
“Clearly Bundy should not be made out to be some kind of hero,” observed Jim Burling, vice president of the property-rights oriented Pacific Legal Foundation. “But BLM and DOJ are doing everything they can to turn Bundy into some kind of martyr and they’re giving him far more credibility than he should be given.”
Well now I will think a little less of Pacific Legal Foundation, who ever they are.
Exactly correct. No Federal monies should be spent on anything outside of national defense and those monies needed for the running of our government. All other monies should be the function of each and individual state to use as they see fit. Many enlightened states will prosper. California will fail and implode and when the taxes become even more obscene than today, silicon valley will move to Texas. A lot of it has already.
What were they suppose to do.
Sue them again?
Well said. Illinois is another state to keep an eye on.
I would love to see Trump and the GOPee, demilitarize federal agencies who have no business being armed. The IRS comes to mind.
Op starts off well on course and then the snark leaks in.
Keep in mind that the FEDS shot Bundy’s cattle from helicopters. They shot a breeding bull that was enclosed in a sturdy corral, saying the bull was dangerous. Beef cattle are not cheap, and a good breeding bull can be worth $100,000 without an argument.
The Feds wanted to cut down the number of cattle Bundy was grazing. IF that number was cut any lower, Bundy would lose all his grazing water rights. In Nevada, water rights are based on ‘beneficial use’. Growing a crop or watering cattle are considered ‘beneficial use’. IF you do not have enough cattle to qualify as ‘beneficial use’, you can lose your water rights.
THAT is the whole crux of the Bundy issue.
None of the official reports by the media have explained this to any degree.
I know the issues of water rights in Western States can be somewhat confusing, but no media report I have seen from the very beginning on this fight has explained about the water rights.
BTW- The Federal government spent alot of money building a ‘turtle sanctuary’ to ‘keep the desert turtle from becoming extinct.
Under Obama, that place was closed down because it was ‘too expensive’. Hundreds of turtles died——in the ‘care’ & control of the Feds. So much for ‘protection’ by the Feds.
The turtles reside just fine in the company of the cattle. They get moisture from the droppings of the cattle & unless there is a stampede, the cattle don’t bother the turtles.
Using the ‘demise’ of the turtle numbers is another lie the Feds have used to reduce cattle grazing on land the Feds CONTROL-—they DO NOT OWN IT & THEY DO NOT PAY ANY PROPERTY TAXES ON THESE LANDS. But the Feds control about 87% of Nevada land mass.
I sincerely hope a full explanation of what happened to the Bundy’s & the Hammonds will come out in the near future.
All participants supporting Bundy & Hammonds need to be cleared & they need payments for their losses. LaVoy Finicum was killed & that death has nothing but a pack of Federal lies attached to it.
Peaceful civil protests don’t involve snipers pointing guns from overpasses at law enforcement...stop with this crap.
Bundy’s are criminals, improper and illegal behavior by the BLM and /or th DOJ, do not diminish the Bundy’s criminality.
Read the 18 page whistleblower memo from the BLM Special Agent to the DOJ and get back to us.
The BLM’s own assessment was that the Bundy’s were not dangerous. Despite that the BLM put snipers on the hold around the ranch. This is why Bundy asked Patriots to come to his defense.
Then they lied about it in court, which is why a mistrial was declared.
Similar pre-placed on overwatch FBI snipers shot at and thereby precipitated the LEO shooting murder of Levoy Finicum, shooting into his disabled truck, when there were no visible guns, and the windows were down. That violates FBI rules of engagement. Hell Army guys in Iraq wouldn’t shoot skinnies in that scenario.
And then they lied about it and destroyed evidence. So, one agent is going on trial for lying next year.
But still, Levoy is dead.
So the only crap I see is your attitude of limitless deference to corrupt LEOs. Hopefully it’s merely unfamiliarity with there specifics of these cases.
having carefully followed this whole affair myself for many years, there is no possible way i could disagree with you more about the bundys. to make just one point, criminals commit crimes for self-interest, in cases like this usually riches. i don’t think the bundys have a penny they didn’t earn outside of their own bonebreaking hard work. and they are certainly not getting rich sitting in prison having tried to defend themselves and their property from the fed gov’t.
anyway, may God bless you and yours this Christmas season.
and may God help and bless the bundys and the finicums, too.
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