Changes

In a second letter Wednesday  addressed to Comey and U.S. Attorney General [[Loretta E. Lynch]], Brown outlined those conversations and referred to the occupants led by Ammon and Ryan Bundy as “armed radicals.” Brown wrote,

In a second letter Wednesday  addressed to Comey and U.S. Attorney General [[Loretta E. Lynch]], Brown outlined those conversations and referred to the occupants led by Ammon and Ryan Bundy as “armed radicals.” Brown wrote,

{{quotebox|“As you are both aware,” the governor wrote, “for more than two weeks now, these radicals have been allowed to stay unlawfully in the refuge approximately 30 miles to the south of Burns, Oregon, in Harney County. While it is easy to assume that an occupation in such a remote location does not threaten public safety and does not harm any victims, that perception is far from accurate.  What adds to the tensions felt by the community is the reality that multiple ‘supporters’ of these individuals have joined, staying in local motels in the City of Burns, and the criminals on the refuge are allowed to travel on and off the premises with little fear of [[law enforcement]] contact or interaction.}}”

{{quotebox|“As you are both aware,” the governor wrote, “for more than two weeks now, these radicals have been allowed to stay unlawfully in the refuge approximately 30 miles to the south of Burns, Oregon, in Harney County. While it is easy to assume that an occupation in such a remote location does not threaten public safety and does not harm any victims, that perception is far from accurate.  What adds to the tensions felt by the community is the reality that multiple ‘supporters’ of these individuals have joined, staying in local motels in the City of Burns, and the criminals on the refuge are allowed to travel on and off the premises with little fear of [[law enforcement]] contact or interaction."}}

Brown argued to Lynch and Comey that because the occupation is on federal land, it is the federal authorities’ responsibility to lead law enforcement’s response to the occupation.

Brown argued to Lynch and Comey that because the occupation is on federal land, it is the federal authorities’ responsibility to lead law enforcement’s response to the occupation.

{{quotebox|“For the citizens of Harney County and indeed all Oregonians, I must insist on a swift resolution to this matter. Efforts to negotiate have not been successful, and now it is unclear what steps, if any, federal authorities might take to bring this untenable situation to an end and restore normalcy to this community.}}

{{quotebox|“For the citizens of Harney County and indeed all Oregonians, I must insist on a swift resolution to this matter. Efforts to negotiate have not been successful, and now it is unclear what steps, if any, federal authorities might take to bring this untenable situation to an end and restore normalcy to this community.}}