David Gutman, Jim Brunner and Joseph O’Sullivan authored an article posted by the Seattle Times on December 19, 2019. They report that an investigation commissioned by the Washington State House found that Washington State Representative Matt Shea planned and participated in domestic terrorism against the United States before and during the armed takeover at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016.
The 108-page report found that beginning in November 2015, Shea, working with militia leader Ammon Bundy, helped “in the planning and preparation” of the Malheur takeover, a six-week conflict in which dozens of armed protesters occupied the refuge in rural Eastern Oregon. The standoff ended after one protester was shot and killed and dozens were arrested.
An armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Reserve in the southeastern portion of the State of Oregon in the USA took place between January 2, 2016, and February 11, 2016. I became fascinated with this test of governmental authority over public lands and followed the occupation and the aftermath as reflected in prior postings on this blog, which include:
MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATION /FEBRUARY 12, 2016
A LINGERING EFFECT OF THE MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATION /OCTOBER 18, 2016
PERSPECTIVE ON THE MALHEUR WILDLIFE PRESERVE OCCUPATION COURT "VICTORY" /NOVEMBER 9, 2016
ARMED MALHEUR WILDLIFE PRESERVE OCCUPIERS MADE FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT HISTORY /NOVEMBER 13, 2016
MALHEUR OCCUPIER RECEIVES A PRISON SENTENCE /NOVEMBER 17, 2017
MALHEUR OCCUPATION REFLECTED AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF GOVERNMENT LAND MANAGEMENT /NOVEMBER 23, 2017
ANOTHER MALHEUR OCCUPIER GOES TO PRISON /NOVEMBER 23, 2017
MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATION TWO YEARS LATER /JANUARY 19, 2018
SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATION /FEBRUARY 12, 2018
ACQUITTALS AND SOFT SENTENCES FOR THE ARMED OCCUPATION OF OREGON’S MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE /APRIL 13, 2018
A FILM ABOUT THE OCCUPATION OF MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE / APRIL 27, 2018
FORMER OREGON COUNTY COMMISSIONER THREATENED IN CONNECTION WITH THE MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE OCCUPATION OF 2016 / NOVEMBER 9, 2019
