Posted on 09/07/2016 4:33:30 AM PDT by Nextrush
On the eve of his trial, federal prosecutors in Oregon have dropped the conspiracy indictment against Pete Santilli, a self-described independent broadcaster who was present during the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County.
Santilli, 51, was the lone person of eight defendants set for trial this month who never stayed overnight at the federal wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon, and his attorney argued that much of the material he broadcast on his YouTube channel was protected speech under the First Amendment.
In a motion filed late Tuesday afternoon, federal proseuctors urged the court to dismiss the indictment, citing US District Judge Anna J. Brown's ruling last week that limited the evidence they could present against Santilli........
Santilli also facing indictment stemming from the April 2014 armed standoff with federal officers near Bunkerville, Nevada, will remain in custody but be transferred to Nevada to face charges in that case....
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
The goal was to punish him by bankrupting him through legal fees, mission accomplished.
The Feds could have bankrupted him and jailed him. Why didn’t they push it? I’m glad they didn’t—I think the Feds are out of line in a lot of this—but letting him off seems out of character. The Empire seeks to destroy its enemies, not let them off.
Santilli is still on the hook in Nevada and will be jailed there ahead of a trial next year where he will face numerous charges including the notion he ‘recruited gunmen’ for the Bundy Ranch standoff in 2014.
Undercover informant?
Its been said, but he still faces the Nevada charges.
If the feds drop those?
Santilli seems like a guy who’s emotional and prone to outbursts.
I think people with links to Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, militia who have spoken openly of their communications with the feds during the protest (”mediation”) and opposition to Ammon Bundy’s decision to occupy the wildlife refuge in the first place, are more likely suspects.
Thanks for posting this. So, they have held him in jail with no bond since February and on the eve of the trial they dismiss charges. Outrageous!
What happened to innocent until proven guilty? Obviously if the feds want to they just arrest you and hold you in jail, the law doesn’t apply to them. These people that have been arrested were not horrible criminals. The big offense that the FBI and Loretta Lynch couldn’t stand was teaching the constitution and being legally armed.
Hillary Clinton committed more crimes and they refuse to charge her.
There’s always the first rule of criminal defense - the first to squeal gets the deal.
No "loser pays" federally.
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