PORTLAND — A former Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter won’t have to testify at the ongoing conspiracy trial of four men who joined Ammon and Ryan Bundy in armed occupation of a national wildlife refuge, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Asserting journalist’s privilege, Oregon Public Broadcasting and reporter John Sepulvado fought a government subpoena to testify about whether his January 2016 story about occupation leader Ryan Bundy was authentic and accurately depicted Bundy’s point of view. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions approved the subpoena shortly after his confirmation.
Defense lawyers contend Bundy’s statements to Sepulvado shouldn’t be admitted as evidence because it’s unknown what questions were asked and what responses were omitted during the editing process.
Defense attorney Jesse Merrithew told the judge at a Friday hearing that the reporter described the men as thugs and terrorists in Twitter posts, and expressed disappointment that the Bundy brothers were acquitted in a trial last fall. “This is a person who doesn’t make any qualms about his bias against these men,” Merrithew said.
U.S. District Judge Anna Brown granted Oregon Public Broadcasting’s motion to quash the subpoena.
