Right-wing militant Ammon Bundy, who led an armed takeover of public lands six years ago and recently lost a race to be governor of Idaho, vowed to confront anyone out to collect possible damages in a defamation and harassment lawsuit against him with a “shotgun.”
Bundy is currently ignoring the suit brought earlier this year by St. Luke’s Health System, the largest hospital organization in the state.
“They’re probably going to try to get judgments of over one million dollars and take everything [I] have from me,” Bundy told the conservative Idaho Dispatch in a video interview earlier this week.
Bundy vowed: “I’m not going to let that happen. I’m making moves to stop that from happening. If I have to meet ’em on the front door with my friends and a shotgun, I’ll do that. They’re not going to take my property.”
Bundy, son of militant Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, was involved with his dad in a 2014 standoff against federal officers over nonpayment of rent for their use of public pasture land. Two years later he led a deadly armed takeover of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge— and was later acquitted of charges by a local jury.
Bundy and members of the extremist People’s Rights Network, which he founded, were sued by St. Luke’s after they claimed a grandbaby of a network member was “medically kidnapped.” Police reported the baby was taken to the hospital because the child was suffering from “severe malnourishment.” The baby was treated and released back to their parents.
The hospital lawsuit claims Bundy and his followers harassed hospital workers, and fundraised using “defamatory statements about the St. Luke’s Parties and others kidnapping, trafficking, and killing children.”
Bundy and a follower were arrested in March for trespassing when they refused to leave hospital grounds during a protest.
Bundy and his followers have denied the claims.
Bundy has skipped court appearances, The Daily Beast reported Thursday. He boasted in his interview that he simply throws court papers he receives in the garbage.
“I just throw it all away. I literally just take it from the mail and throw it in the garbage,” Bundy said. “I haven’t responded one bit to them.”
Bundy said “servers ... come here all the time, knocking on the door, serving papers.”
The hospital lawsuit is seeking $50,000 in damages. Officials have said St. Luke’s plans to give whatever it receives to its Children at Risk Evaluation Service.
Check out the Bundy interview here: