Appendix: Response to the Malheur Occupation

Mixed Response of Pacific Patriots Network and National Oath Keepers to the Malheur Occupation

The National Oath Keepers’ Response

The national Oath Keepers had a different relationship to the Malheur occupation than the Josephine County chapter did. The national had signed the December 11, 2015 “Redress of Grievance,” and promoted it on their website, while praising Ammon Bundy.⁽¹⁾We the People—United Individuals of these States United, et al., “NOTICE: Redress of Grievance,” dated December 11, 2015, Holding Block, December 30, 2015, http://holdingblock.blogspot.com/2015/12/we-people-united-individuals-of-these.html; Jason Van Tatenhove, “A New Resolution put out by Ammon Bundy concerning the Hammond Family,” Oath Keepers, December 15, 2015, www.oathkeepers.org/a-new-resolution-put-out-by-ammond-bundy-concerning-the-hammond-family.

At this point, it seems that Ammon Bundy, the national Oath Keepers, and the Pacific Patriots Network were all working together without major conflict. However, differences emerged, and by December 31, 2015 national President Stewart Rhodes made it clear that the Oath Keepers were not going to go to Burns, because the Hammond family had not asked for their help.⁽²⁾Stewart Rhodes, “The Hammond Family Does NOT Want an Armed Stand Off, and Nobody Has a Right to Force One On Them,” Oath Keepers, January 1, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/the-hammond-family-does. (A haggard Ammon Bundy replied with a video on January 1, 2016, begging people to come.)⁽³⁾“Dear Friends,” YouTube video, 19:27, posted by “Ammon Bundy,” January 2, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7M0mG6HUyk.

One video, apparently from a member of the national Oath Keepers organization, implied that members who helped organize the march would be expelled. The man in it said, “there will be repercussions” for making a national callout without the green light from the national leadership. “If you wanna use our name, and you are not an Oath Keeper, bad things are coming your way.” He added that “individual state leadership” had gone “rogue.”⁽⁴⁾Originally posted before January 2, 2016 on Facebook at www.facebook.com/video.php?v=774946265942875. The video was removed during the occupation.

The national Oath Keepers were unhappy with the takeover, and the day after it began, they republished Three Percenter founder Mike Vanderboegh’s article calling the occupiers “Provocateurs, Sociopaths And Idiots.”⁽⁵⁾Mike Vanderboegh, “Oregon Standoff: Federal Provocateurs, Sociopaths And Idiots,” Oath Keepers, January 3, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/oregon-standoff-federal-provocateurs-sociopaths-and-idiots. However, the national group acted in tandem with their Josephine County local during the rest of the occupation. The Pacific Patriots Network’s January 3, 2016 press release appeared on the national’s website—albeit a couple days later.⁽⁶⁾“Oregon III% Press Release on Malheur Wildlife Refuge,” Oath Keepers, January 5, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/oregon-iii-press-release-on-malheur-wildlife-refuge. On January 5, the national released the first of a number of claims of insider information about military deployments in the area, and also called on the occupiers to evacuate all women and children from the refuge. They also warned, in Vanderboegh’s words, that there would be “No Free Wacos”—threatening the federal government to “Treat this with kid gloves or risk a civil war.”⁽⁷⁾Stewart Rhodes, “URGENT Warning on OR Standoff: Military Special OP Assets Have Been Assigned for Standoff. Keep Women and Children Out of There,” Oath Keepers, January 5, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/urgent-warning-on-or-standoff-military-special-op-assets-have-been-assigned-for-standoff-get-all-children-out-of-there-immediately. (The Waco tragedy had been a catalyst for the 1990s militia movement, whose members had proclaimed that if militias had been in place, they could have prevented the tragedy by attacking the federal agents.)

Rhodes tried to insert himself as a dealmaker on January 6, penning an open letter to Ammon Bundy, asking him “to submit yourself to the authority of the Committee of Safety and the people of Harney County at large, and let them know, in no uncertain terms, that they are now in charge, and you will comply with whatever they decide must be done, whether you agree with it or not.” Ammon wasn’t having it.⁽⁸⁾Stewart Rhodes, “A Recommended Honorable Exit Strategy For Ammon Bundy,” Oath Keepers, January 6, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/a-recommended-honorable-exit-strategy-for-ammon-bundy. The national Oath Keepers had been publicly backing the new Committee of Safety for several days, and posted a live feed of the Committee’s January 8 meeting. Rhodes says, “This is exactly what needs to be done in every county in the West—the people coming together to take the bull by the horns and stand together with THEM in charge.”⁽⁹⁾Stewart Rhodes, “Live Feed (Now a Recording) of Harney County Committee of Safety Meeting,” Oath Keepers, January 8, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/live-feed-of-harney-county-committee-of-safety-meeting. National Oath Keepers Media Director Jason Van Tatenhove spoke during the public section of the meeting, showing that the national leadership was already on the ground in Burns at that early date.⁽¹⁰⁾“Burns Oregon—Important Committee of Safety Meeting,” YouTube video, 3:18:38, posted by “Pete Santilli Show,” January 8, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELXMyTjMmXk; see 1:07:44. On January 9, the Pacific Patriots Network (including Rice) held a press conference at the refuge; it was interrupted by a clearly annoyed LaVoy Finicum, who asked them to put their rifles away for image reasons. Tatenhove filmed the event; later, Oath Keepers National Operations NCO Joseph Santoro also came to Burns.⁽¹¹⁾“Friday Jan 9th Morning Press Briefing with III%, CFCF and PPN from the Oregon Refuge Center,” YouTube video, 15:52, posted by “OathKeepersOK,” January 10, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKKaFvn69DY. At 4:07 the person filming identifies himself as Tatenhove. He later interviews Finicum at the Refuge headquarters; see Jason Van Tatenhove, “Exclusive Oath Keepers Interview with LaVoy Finicum at the Refuge in Harney, OR,” Oath Keepers, January 20, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/exclusive-oath-keepers-interview-with-lavoy-finicum-at-the-refuge-in-harney-or. On Santoro, see Stewart Rhodes, “Letter to U.S. Military From SGM Joseph A. Santoro (Ret), Oath Keepers Operations NCO, Writing from Burns, OR,” Oath Keepers, January, 15, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/letter-to-u-s-military-from-sgm-joseph-a-santoro-ret-oath-keepers-operations-nco-writing-from-burns-or.

By January 12, the national Oath Keepers began a more vigorous defense of the armed occupation; Rhodes says it was “essentially a civil disobedience sit-in like the left has been doing for decades…. People need to get over it and chill out.”⁽¹²⁾Stewart Rhodes, “Burns, OR Town Hall Meeting Jan. 11, 2016. Sheriff Ward: ‘There’s an Hour Glass and It’s Runnin, and Time’s Gonna Run Out’,” Oath Keepers, January 12, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/burns-town-hall-meeting-jan-12-2016-sheriff-ward. They then started pushing the line that the Hammonds were being driven off their land as part of the supposed Agenda 21 conspiracy.⁽¹³⁾Shorty Dawkins, “What Is Really Behind The Hammond Situation?” Oath Keepers, January 12, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/what-is-really-behind-the-hammond-situation; “Agenda 21 Primer,” Oath Keepers, January 14, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/agenda-21-for-dummies. On January 15, the Oath Keepers national made an appeal to U.S. military and FBI agents, repeating the “No Free Wacos” slogan, and threatening civil war again.⁽¹⁴⁾Stewart Rhodes, “Warning to U.S. Military and Federal LEOs: Do Not Follow Orders to ‘Waco’ Ammon Bundy Occupation, or Risk Civil War,” Oath Keepers, January 15, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/critical-warning-to-u-s-military-and-federal-leo-do-not-follow-orders-to-waco-ammon-bundy-occupation-in-oregon-or-you-risk-starting-a-civil-war.

On January 19, the national made the first call up of members to come to Harney County—something that tellingly hadn’t happened until then. Members were told to engage in a campaign to win the “hearts and minds” of local residents, taking actions like shoveling snow from sidewalks.⁽¹⁵⁾Jason Van Tatenhove, “Oath Keepers Call For Volunteers For PPN Buffer Operation in Harney County, OR,” Oath Keepers, January 19, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/call-up. On January 24, Oath Keepers national issued the first of several “Situation Reports”—military-style analyses of what the government was doing in the area.⁽¹⁶⁾Sam Culper’s posts on the Oath Keepers website are “Malheur SITREP: 2200L 23 JAN 2016,” January 23, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/malheur-sitrep-2200l-23-jan-2016/; “Malheur SITREP: 2200L 24 JAN 2016,” January 24, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/malheur-sitrep-2200l-24-jan-2016/; “Malheur SITREP: 2100L 25 JAN 2016,” January 25, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/malheur-sitrep-2100l-25-jan-2016/; and “Malheur SITREP: 2100L 29 JAN 2016,” January 29, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/malheur-sitrep-1900l-29-jan-16/. On the same day LaVoy Finicum was also on a radio show with Rhodes, who advised Finicum to leave the refuge and seek the protection of a county sheriff. Finicum was killed two days later en route to a meeting in Grant County attended by its constitutional sheriff, Glenn Palmer.⁽¹⁷⁾Jason Van Tatenhove, “Audio of Haunting Oath Keepers Phone Call With LaVoy Finicum Two Days Before His Death,” Oath Keepers, February 8, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/new-audio-files-of-the-last-conversation-had-between-lavoy-finicum-stewart-rhodes-todd-engle-and-jason-van-tatenhove.

It should be noted that the Oath Keepers came under heavy criticism from other Patriot movement factions for their initial denunciation of, and then later lackluster support for, the occupation.⁽¹⁸⁾For example, “Oath Keepers Has Failed Oregon & America,” YouTube video, 0:59, posted by “Counter Tyranny Ops,” January 7, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJbF9s0Uy4k

The Pacific Patriots Network’s Response

Pacific Patriots Network also signed the December 11, 2015 “Redress of Grievance” document.⁽¹⁹⁾We the People—United Individuals of these States United, et al., “NOTICE: Redress of Grievance,” dated December 11, 2015, Holding Block, December 30, 2015, http://holdingblock.blogspot.com/2015/12/we-people-united-individuals-of-these.html. Members organized the January 2, 2016 march in Burns in support of the Hammonds, and several spoke at the march. They had also met with Harney County community members before the January 2, 2016 march, to calm their fears of violence. “We are not coming into your town to shoot it up,” Brandon Curtiss said. “We won’t fire anything unless we’re fired upon.”⁽²⁰⁾Les Zaitz, “Burns residents confront militia over fears of violence,” Oregonian/OregonLive, January2, 2016, www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/01/burns_residents_confront_milit.html.

After Ammon Bundy and fewer than a dozen others broke out of the march and took over the refuge headquarters, the Pacific Patriots Network-led march continued on to the Harney County Fairgrounds in Burns, where most of the group’s leadership was present and expressed their opposition to the occupation. Brandon Curtiss went so far as to call Ammon Bundy, Jon Ritzheimer, Ryan Payne, and Blaine Cooper “bad apples.”⁽²¹⁾“Jan. 2, 2016 Town Hall Meeting,” YouTube video, 1:08:00, posted by “Liberty Under Attack” (originally filmed by S. Thomas Lewis), April 11, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3t1SopHD18; see around 9:50.

However, the Pacific Patriots Network position on the occupation evolved quickly, and they attempted to insert themselves between the occupiers and law enforcement authorities. A January 3, 2016 press release said they “in no way condone nor support” the occupation, nor had they “planned or advocated for any form of armed uprising.” But the next day, a new press release suddenly described the occupation as “no different than a sit in protest at a college.”⁽²²⁾Pacific Patriots Network—Oath Keepers—III%, “Press Release: Malheur Wildlife Refuge Siege,” January 3, 2016, Pacific Patriots Network, http://pacificpatriotsnetwork.com/press_release_2016-01-03.php; Pacific Patriots Network—Oath Keepers—III%, “Press release regarding Malheur Wildlife Refuge,” Pacific Patriots Network, January 4, 2016 http://pacificpatriotsnetwork.com/press_release_2016-01-04.php.

By January 7, they issued a “Call to Action,” asking that members come to Burns “to establish a safety perimeter of protection for the occupiers so as to prevent a Waco-style situation from unfolding during this peaceful occupation.”⁽²³⁾Pacific Patriots Network—Oath Keepers—III%, “Re; Immediate Call to Action,” Pacific Patriots Network, January 7, 2016, www.pacificpatriotsnetwork.com/press_release_2016-01-07.php Pacific Patriots Network leaders, including Joseph Rice, Brandon Rapolla, and Brandon Curtiss spoke the Harney County Committee of Safety’s town hall meeting in Burns on January 8.⁽²⁴⁾“Burns Oregon—Important Committee of Safety Meeting,” YouTube video, 3:18:38, streamed live by “Pete Santilli Show,” January 8, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELXMyTjMmXk. Rice speaks at 1:02:39; Curtiss and Rapolla speak later on.

The Pacific Patriots Network leaders showed up on January 9, and held a press conference at the refuge, which LaVoy Finicum interrupted to tell them to put their long guns away.⁽²⁵⁾“Friday Jan 9th Morning Press Briefing with III%, CFCF and PPN from the Oregon Refuge Center,” YouTube video, 15:52, posted by “OathKeepersOK,” January 10, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKKaFvn69DY. Then they drove into Burns and deployed their armed members on the block around the county courthouse, where they met with Sheriff Ward and delivered their “Articles of Resolution”—a document which suggested a series of actions to be taken by both sides to end the conflict.⁽²⁶⁾OPB Staff, “New Armed Group Enters Harney County, Meets With Sheriff,” January 9, (updated January 10), 2016, OR Public Broadcasting, www.opb.org/news/series/burns-oregon-standoff-bundy-militia-news-updates/armed-convoy-arrives-at-harney-county-courthouse; “Before the Board of County Commissioners for Harney County, State of Oregon, Proposal for Resolution of the Peaceful Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by Citizens for Constitutional Freedom,” dated January 8, 2016, Pacific Patriots Network, www.pacificpatriotsnetwork.com/downloads/Proposed Resoulition of Peacful Occupation – Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.pdf; Pacific Patriots Network, “Statement Regarding proposed Articles of Resolution,” January 10, 2016, Pacific Patriots Network, www.pacificpatriotsnetwork.com/proposed_resolution_2016-01-10.php. (Neither party accepted it.) The Pacific Patriots Network then went to the airport, where the FBI was stationed, and—while armed—met with some agents; this was trumpeted by the Oath Keepers as a “Historic ‘militia’ moment.”⁽²⁷⁾“Historic ‘Militia’ Moment: Pacific Patriot Network (Including Oath Keepers) Calls On FBI,” Oath Keepers, January 10, 2016, www.oathkeepers.org/9435-2.

On January 20, they called on Governor Brown to send a mediator in, but denounced her the next day when, instead, she called on federal authorities to “immediately” end the occupation.⁽²⁸⁾Letter from Joseph Rice to Governor Kate Brown, January 20, 2016, Pacific Patriots Network, www.pacificpatriotsnetwork.com/downloads/PPN – Request – Governor Brown Letter – Mediator.pdf; Pacific Patriots Network—Oath Keepers—III%, “Press Release,” January 21, 2016, Pacific Patriots Network, www.pacificpatriotsnetwork.com/press_release_2016-01-21.php; KOIN 6 Staff, “Gov. Brown: Militia at Malheur ‘intolerable’,” KOIN 6, January 20 (updated January 21), 2016, http://koin.com/2016/01/20/militia-at-malheur-national-wildlife-refuge-01202016. After the arrests and shooting of Finicum on January 26, the Pacific Patriots Network initially held off responding, saying “No mobilization of any kind is to take place until every piece of speculation and hearsay have been verified or dismissed.”⁽²⁹⁾Pacific Patriots Network—Oath Keepers—III%, “Pacific Patriots Network—Official Statement for Immediate Release,” Pacific Patriots Network, January 26, 2016, www.pacificpatriotsnetwork.com/press_release_2016-01-26.php. But by January 28, Pacific Patriots Network leader BJ Soper was calling for “thousands” of people to come to Burns to “peacefully” force the FBI out of Oregon and force several Harney County leaders to resign.⁽³⁰⁾Gargoyle, Twitter post, January 28, 2016, 8:44 a.m, https://twitter.com/Patztense/status/692750185819213824; Carli Brosseau,“‘Thousands’ called to Burns to tell FBI to leave after occupation leader’s arrest,” Oregonian/OregonLive, January 28 (updated February 23), 2016, www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/01/thousands_called_to_burns_to_t.html. The Pacific Patriots Network issued a “call to action” the next day, with a slightly watered down demands. They called for the Oregon State Police to detain the FBI agents involved in the Finicum shooting, and for the FBI to leave Harney County (as well as for the same county officials to resign).⁽³¹⁾Pacific Patriots Network, “Official Call to Action,” Pacific Patriots Network, January 29, 2016, http://pacificpatriotsnetwork.com/official_call_to_action_2016-01-29.php.

February 1, 2016 saw dueling rallies at the Harney County Courthouse. The Pacific Patriots Network held one, largely consisting of out of towners and drawing 150 people. A counter-rally, organized with support from the Rural Organizing Project, was attended almost entirely by locals; with 350 people, they outnumbered the Patriot movement crowd substantially. Then daily rallies in Burns called by Patriot movement groups were cancelled due to lack of participation.⁽³²⁾Amelia Templeton and Amanda Peacher, “Emotional Protesters Face Off In Burns,” Oregon Public Broadcasting, February 1 (updated February 3), 2016, www.opb.org/news/series/burns-oregon-standoff-bundy-militia-news-updates/emotions-boil-over-on-both-sides-in-burns-protests; “Rural Oregon speaks out!,” February 8, 2016, Rural Organizing Project, www.rop.org/7744-2.

Last, it should be noted that media connected to these two groups was important in publicizing the Malheur occupiers’ version of events. Internet broadcaster Pete Santilli, who is close to the Oath Keepers, was a key figure in livestreaming events from the refuge. The Voice of Idaho’s Michael Emry, who said he was an “embedded” reporter with the 3% of Idaho (a Pacific Patriots Network member group), also provided coverage from a Patriot movement perspective.⁽³³⁾See Pete Santilli Show, YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/channel/UCYr9ruxjGbBB1MOpuU6tpAQ; TVOI News—The Voice of Idaho, http://tvoinews.com. Thanks to Cheri Roberts for pointing out the influence of these two Patriot movement media outlets during the Malheur occupation. Both were arrested after the occupation.