Bundy has been to court and lost every time for the last 20+ years.
He is simply someone who doesn’t want to pay what he owes and has a constantly changing set of excuses why he shouldn’t pay his legally accrued debts. Instead of working to find a solution, he has escalated his behavior and grazed cattle on additional new lands to which his family has no historical claim. If he was sincerely concerned with abuse of the Federal government, he would have refused as a matter of principle to use their resources years ago. Instead he kept milking the same corrupt system for his own gain.
Even if he had put his back lease fees in escrow, I could have some sympathy for him and believe he was acting in good faith. Instead he tried to be clever and knowingly attempted to pay the wrong authority once and when they refused to accept, he used that as an excuse to never try to pay anyone ever again. that to me sounds like he was just looking for a way to renege on his debts while being able to say “hey I tried to pay someone”.
I am amazed that so called law respecting Conservatives are rallying behind him. If Bundy was replaced by a dirty hippie commune trying the same thing, most of us would be up in arms about them stealing from taxpayers. The eagerness of militias to come to his defense and risk violence is not going to sit well with John Q. Public and plays right into the hands of liberal memes about dangerous violent right wing extremists. He has already had his days in court and lost over and over again. I hope I am 100% wrong but in the end I fear this will set the Conservative movement back years.
Let’s just say they confiscate 1000 head and sell at market price of about 1000$ per head for about 1M$. (The numbers are simply for rough figgerin.) Now, will they stick Bundy for any shortage or credit him with any overage?
For sure, the former, and sure as hell not, the latter.
Bundy family established rights to that land through blood an sweat, prior to ANY legal authority.
As a state and county authority began to emerge they codified water, grazing and access rights.
Then came BLM. Changed all the rules and let them know there is a new master in town.
Bundy contends his rights both predate and supersede the Feds/BLM.
Legal or not, it's not an unreasonable position.