EMMETT, Idaho — Ammon Bundy was arrested Friday night by the Gem County Sheriff's Office on a warrant for contempt charges stemming from a legal battle with St. Luke's Health System. According to a video obtained by KTVB, Bundy was arrested at an Emmett High School football fundraiser.
Gem County Jail staff have confirmed that Bundy bonded out of jail on Saturday night at $10,000. His arraignment is set for Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. in Ada County.
Following his arrest, supporters of Bundy showed up at the Gem County Jail. KTVB's Alexandra Duggan was on the scene and said some supporters were holding signs and yelling, but that it had remained peaceful.
The legal battle between Bundy and the hospital began when Bundy, Diego Rodriguez, and their organizations organized days of protests at the hospital. They claimed Rodriguez' infant grandson was "medically kidnapped" by doctors and Child Protective Services (CPS). The "Baby Cyrus" protests led to the hospital having to go into lockdown for nearly two hours on March 15, 2022. The hospital had to divert patients to other providers and prohibit visitors.
Following the lawsuit, Bundy refused to participate in legal proceedings but began to harass witnesses in the lawsuit. Attorneys for St. Luke's Health System then filed a motion for contempt against Diego Rodriguez and his Freedom Man Press over continued harassment of witnesses in St. Luke's defamation case against him, Ammon Bundy and their organizations.
Bundy ended up losing that legal battle. A jury ordered that he and Rodriguez must pay St. Luke's and other plaintiffs damages exceeding $52 million stemming from ongoing protests and harassment.
KTVB spoke with Erik Stidham, the attorney for St. Luke's, who said the contempt warrant has several components, including charges about intimidating witnesses who would testify in the trial, failure to pay monetary damages and failing to comply with court orders. Although the trial is over, those warrants do not go away. Stidham said he did not know why it took him so long to be arrested.
"The contempt charges relate primarily to Mr. Bundy's harassment and intimidation of witnesses in the case that resulted in a $52MM verdict against Mr. Bundy and the other defendants. The rule of law applies to everyone, including Mr. Bundy," Stidham said.
A statement released Saturday from the Emmett School District on Bundy's arrest is included below, in part. The district said it did not organize Friday's fundraiser and it was not held on school grounds. To read the full statement, click here.
"We regret that this incident happened at an event meant to support our student athletes. We recognize that prior notification of legal action is not always possible—especially in an incident that was not pre-planned by law enforcement. As always, we support and appreciate our law enforcement officers who perform their duties in challenging circumstances, making real-time decisions as they work to serve and protect the public. The primary aim of this event was to help create a positive and encouraging environment for our EHS football team. We would like that to remain the focus as we wish our dedicated student-athletes a successful school year and an amazing football season!"
In October 2020, a high school football game between Emmett and Caldwell was canceled at halftime after Bundy refused to wear a mask or leave school grounds.
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