Ammon Bundy denied in court testimony Thursday leading Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupiers in January that resulted in 41-day standoff in Oregon.
Bundy was on his third day testifying in his own defense in U.S. district court in Portland, where he is on trial with six others people charged with illegally taking control of the wildlife refuge, when prosecutors began cross-examining him, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
Federal prosecutors have accused Bundy and his codefendants of preventing employees from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management from doing their work through intimidation, threats or force during the armed standoff at the eastern Oregon bird sanctuary, The Oregonian reported.
Bundy's denial came in a series of rapid-fire questions from assistant U.S. attorney Ethan Knight that lasted a little more than 15 minutes. Bundy said "no" when asked if he was the leader of the occupation by Knight, noted OPR.
Knight reminded Bundy of his earlier testimony where he said he was "sort of" the occupation's leader, according to OPR.
"I teach correct principles and let them govern themselves,'' Bundy told Knight.
Under cross-examination, Bundy said he did not believe the refuge was federal property and agreed that the occupiers were attempting to "adversely possess it," The Oregonian reported.
Ammon Bundy, 41, and brother Ryan Bundy, 43, who is a codefendant in the Oregon case, are the sons of Clive Bundy, the Nevada rancher who was involved in an armed standoff with federal authorities over disputed ranch land there in 2014, CNN noted.
Authorities arrested Clive Bundy in February in Portland where he was attempting to support his sons in the Oregon standoff. He was indicted at that time with four others, including his sons, by a federal grand jury on 16 felony charges relating to the 2014 standoff, CNN noted.
Ammon Bundy was arrested by Oregon State Police Jan. 26 while he and several other occupiers were traveling along a remote highway between John Day and Burns, Oregon, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
Fellow occupier Robert "LaVoy" Finicum was shot and killed by state troopers during that stop, The Oregonian reported.
Prosecutors originally charged 26 people with conspiracy. Eleven entered guilty pleas, and charges were dropped against one. Seven other defendants asked for a delay in their trial, now scheduled for February.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.