Ammon Bundy removed from Idaho Capitol twice in less than 24 hours. He’s banned for a year
Less than 24 hours after being arrested at the Statehouse, Ammon Bundy returned to the Capitol on Wednesday and was again removed by Idaho State Police and charged with misdemeanors.
Bundy was arrested at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when police claimed that he refused to leave the Lincoln Auditorium, which is a large hearing room in the Capitol. He was arrested on accusations of trespassing, and resisting and obstructing police.
At 11 a.m. Wednesday, Bundy was seen in the Senate gallery at the Statehouse and was removed by Idaho State Police, the agency that patrols the Capitol grounds.
Keith Reynolds, director of the state Department of Administration, said an order of trespass had been issued against Bundy. In the past, they’ve used the orders for people who have been arrested in the building.
Reynolds explained that the letter does state that if Bundy has legitimate business at the Capitol, he can contact state security to make arrangements to come in. Meanwhile, he has been banned from the property for a year.
The letter falls under Idaho Code 67-1602 to 1604, and 67-5709, regarding the Capitol building and its grounds.
The Idaho Statesman obtained a copy of the letter. The order, dated Aug. 26, 2020, states that if Bundy comes on the Statehouse property, including the Capitol exterior, he could be charged with trespassing.
The order states that Bundy presents “a threat to disrupt the legitimate business there.”
Idaho State Police tweeted Wednesday that Bundy was en route to the Ada County Jail and charged with misdemeanor trespassing, and resisting and obstructing officers, also a misdemeanor.
“Troopers were forced to physically remove Bundy from the Senate gallery, take him through a stairwell, place him in a wheelchair, and then into a patrol vehicle,” according to the ISP tweet. “A second individual, arrested with Bundy for trespassing at the Statehouse yesterday, was also personally served the No Trespass Notice. He voluntarily left the property without incident. Idaho State Police will continue to carefully balance people’s right to participate in the legislative process while ensuring that the process remains peaceful.”
Bundy is best known for being tried but not convicted in two federal standoffs. During the pandemic, he has been a regular face in public meetings and speaks against government regulation. He has testified multiple times during the Legislature’s special session, which was called to address the November election and coronavirus liability, but has veered off that at times.
Bundy, others arrested at Capitol Tuesday
The events leading to Tuesday’s arrest began when there was a disturbance in the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee, which was being held in the Lincoln Auditorium.
The meeting was disrupted when members of the public — at least some apparently part of the anti-vaccination advocacy group Health Freedom Idaho — refused to move out of reserved press corps seats.
The Lincoln Auditorium has a desk with a few seats for the Capitol Correspondents. The seats are for properly credentialed media members only. Committee Chairman Greg Chaney, R-Caldwell, asked the people to move from the seats, after troopers had warned them that they did not qualify as credentialed media. When they moved back to the seats, Chaney told them they needed to leave.
Several people in the room started shouting and at least 10 ISP troopers came into the room.
Ultimately, the lawmakers left the room and moved to a different hearing room to continue with their legislative agenda.
ISP cited and released Bryan Bowermaster, a 33-year-old Boise man, for misdemeanor trespassing after he refused to leave the press desk.
Later, Bundy and several other people also reused to leave the auditorium after Speaker of the House Rep. Scott Bedke ordered it be cleared.
Bundy, Aaron Von Schmidt, 42, of Coeur d’Alene, and Jill Watts, 38, of Nampa, were all arrested and charged with trespassing. Bundy also faces a misdemeanor charge of resisting and obstructing. He refused to leave his chair and was wheeled out of the Statehouse in it.
Bundy posted bond on Tuesday night and was released from jail. He has not had a court date yet.
According to the state Department of Administration, other than the four individuals who were arrested Tuesday, there is only one other no trespass order at the Statehouse in effect. That order was issued last January for a one-year duration.
Bundy and his family have been in the news for the past five years following their involvement in two armed standoffs, one at a family ranch in Nevada in 2014 and one at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon in 2016.
This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 12:41 PM.
