by: Jason Van Tatenhove
Recording of phone call by Oath Keepers to Lavoy Finicum, two days before his death, urging him and the Bundy brothers to make a “lateral, tactical move” to a constitutional sheriff’s county, to continue to spread the message of western land rights and organizing ranchers, under the protection of a strong sheriff, and warning him that all indicators pointed to the “the powers that be” being mere days away from shutting down their ability to spread that message, one way or another.
On Sunday, January 24, 2016 (just two days before his death) Lavoy Finicum was a guest on Jason Van Tatenhove’s radio show (The Patriot Report)along with Stewart Rhodes, Founder and President of Oath Keepers. On the show, they discussed how Lavoy and Ammon Bundy’s message of western ranchers resistance to federal tyranny had begun to “catch fire” and was spreading to other counties and other states, with an additional eight ranchers (including in Utah and New Mexico) stepping up to declare their “emancipation” and independence from the BLM and USFS. They also discussed the great advantages to taking stands in counties that had strong constitutional sheriffs willing to interpose and protect the ranchers.
After the show Stewart Rhodes, Idaho Oath Keeper Todd Engle (veteran of Bundy Ranch) and Jason Van Tatenhove called Lavoy on the phone and warned him that it was clear that the FBI and the state of Oregon had put in place all the personnel (approximately 400 officers) and equipment needed to shut the occupiers down, and that by our estimation that action was imminent (within two to three days, tops). We urged him to consider making a tactical lateral move to a county with a strong constitutional sheriff, so that they could continue to spread the “brushfire” of liberty in the minds of other ranchers.
Jason had set his Skype account to record the show, but we didn’t realize at the time that it was still recording when we made the phone call to LaVoy after the show.
NOTE FROM STEWART RHODES:
Some critical background – Todd Engle (an Idaho Oath Keepers leader and veteran of Bundy Ranch), along with an Oath Keeper with extensive military special operations experience (who prefers to remain anonymous), had traveled to Burns, OR, conducted an assessment of the federal/Oregon State Police strength and preparations, and then visited the refuge on Saturday, January 23, 2016 and sat down with Ammon Bundy and his bodyguard Brian Cavalier (“Booda”).
They warned Ammon and Booda that all the assets were in place for a federal cordon or raid, and that they estimated that within a few days (2-3) the FBI would make a move to shut them down, one way or another. They told Ammon that his tactical situation was FUBAR and the feds were not going to let Ammon and cohorts continue to come and go freely, or communicate freely, to spread their message. They strongly warned Ammon that he had reached the point of serious diminishing returns, and it was time to leave, while he still could.
They informed Ammon that, at a minimum, the FBI would put a cordon in place, block all ingress and egress (no more speaking events or meetings with other ranchers) and then kill all cell reception, internet, etc and prevent them from being able to communicate with anyone except the FBI negotiators. Therefore, they urged Ammon and his crew to leave and continue to spread their message from a better location. We were waiting to see some indicator that they had taken the advice to heart.
The next day, on Sunday, January 24, 2016, I was on Jason’s show with LaVoy, and LaVoy and I discussed how their message was spreading like wildfire throughout the West, and how the very best way to go when resisting federal oppression of ranchers is to have a strong constitutional sheriff to back up and protect the ranchers, with a united community serving as his posse. He agreed that this was ideal.
After the show, I asked Jason to call LaVoy, and I asked Todd to join us, so we could make sure LaVoy got the same information that Ammon had gotten the day before, and to encourage him to make a move to that strongest position possible – a county with a constitutional sheriff, with ranchers ready to stand, where they could continue to spread their message, educating and organizing ranchers, but now under the protection of a strong sheriff who would also protect the ranchers who were declaring independence from federal tyranny and lawlessness.
We discussed some strong Utah sheriffs as possibilities (not realizing they had already scheduled a meeting with Sheriff Glenn Palmer of Grant County, OR, apparently with a mind to spread the message and methods to Grant County, but not to actually relocate there). LaVoy told us he recognized the wisdom in what we were saying and that he would talk to Ammon and Ryan Bundy about it.
Unfortunately, they decided against following our advice, as was made clear in the video LaVoy made the next day, Jan 25, declaring that they were not leaving, and that the federal government was never getting those buildings back:
https://youtu.be/kwGikxlTPZI
LaVoy also did an interview on Jan 25, just one day before he was killed, in which he discussed the increased federal presence and hardening of the feds’ posture:
https://youtu.be/N1DiMtcZXCA
As LaVoy himself noted, they were out in the middle of nowhere, and were focused on education, so why the rapidly escalating threat of force? Well, clearly the powers that be felt threatened by their message, with the two Oregon U.S. Senators later admitting that they considered the Bundy/Finicum message to be a “virus” that was spreading, and bragging that they had spoken directly with Valerie Jarrett (the “power behind the throne” in the White House and real decision maker/handler of Obama), and the FBI Director about the urgent need to shut that message down.
There was no physical threat to the community, and no real emergency, with Ammon and crew having traveled peaceably back and forth to multiple public events and meetings. But clearly there Was a POLITICAL emergency and the regime felt threatened by their ideals. And the Oregon Governor also stamped her feet and demanded immediate action to stop them (and remember, she commands the Oregon State Police). LaVoy’s blood is on their hands, for that is the reason for the “felony stop” and deadly barricade used to shut that “virus” of truth down.
Continue Reading: https://www.oathkeepers.org/new-audio-files-of-the-last-conversation-had-between-lavoy-finicum-stewart-rhodes-todd-engle-and-jason-van-tatenhove/
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