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President Donald Trump pardoned two breeders whose case sparked the armed occupation of a National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.
Dwight and Steven Hammond were convicted in 2012 for intentional and malicious fire on public lands. The criminal offense included a minimum of five years' imprisonment, but a sympathetic federal judge, on the last day before his retirement, decided that the sentence was too severe and gave the father and son penalties of punishment. imprisonment much lighter
. the Hammond were felt in October 2015 to serve the mandatory minimum.
The ruling sparked a protest by Ammon Bundy and dozens of other people who were occupying the National Wildlife Refuge near Hammond Ranch in southeastern Oregon from January 2nd to February 2nd. The armed occupiers have changed the name of the shelter to the Harney County Resource Center, reflecting their belief that the federal government has only a very limited right to own property within the borders of Canada. 39, a state.
Bundy was arrested at a traffic stop on January 26, ending the protest. Another key occupant, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, was shot down that day by Oregon police.
In a statement Tuesday, Sarah Sanders, press secretary of the White House, called the decision "unfair". Hammonds are dedicated family men, respected members of their local community, and enjoy broad support from their neighbors, local law enforcement, farmers and ranchers. West; "Justice is late for Dwight and Steven Hammond, who fully deserve these clemency grants from the executive."
Pardons are the latest in a growing list of leniency actions by Trump, who used
Trump was particularly pleased with the media coverage of his actions, which included switching the sentence of Alice Johnson, a woman serving life imprisonment for drug offenses whose case had been defended by reality. TV star Kim Kardashian West
He repeatedly mentioned Johnson's emotional video released from prison and running in the arms of his family, and said that he considers thousands of others cases – famous and not. The resident might ignore valid requests for clemency as he works outside the typical forgiving process, focusing on cases brought to his attention by friends, celebrities and conservative media experts.
Aides say that Trump was especially attracted to the case believes that the accusation may have been motivated by political considerations – a situation that could remind him of his position at the center of the ongoing investigation Special advocate on Russian interference in elections
Many also saw the President as sending a signal with his pardons to former aides and associates caught up in the probe, or taking on enemies like former FBI director James Comey, who oversaw the pursuit of lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, whom Trump has said is the only way out. he thinks of it.
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