Idaho’s top elected officials have barred Ammon Bundy from the state capitol grounds for one year after they say he refused to leave a committee hearing room Tuesday, resulting in his second arrest in two days.
The order from the Department of Administration, which was delivered to Bundy in the Senate gallery Wednesday morning, said his “disruptive behavior impeded the execution of Government business and procedures.”
Department of Administration Director Keith Reynolds said the decision to issue the order came after consultation with Gov. Brad Little, House Speaker Scott Bedke (R-Oakley) and Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill (R-Rexburg).
After Bundy was served the order, Idaho State Police arrested him for the second time in less than 24 hours and is en route to the Ada County Jail on charges of misdemeanor trespass and resisting and obstructing officers.
Video of the latest Bundy arrest.#idleg #idpol pic.twitter.com/7xq8yPz9V4
— Dustin Hurst (@the_truth_hurst) August 26, 2020
State police say they were "forced to physically remove Bundy from the Senate Gallery, take him through a stairwell, place him in a wheelchair, and then into a patrol vehicle."
Bundy was among dozens of unmasked protesters who pushed their way past state troopers into the House gallery Monday morning in violation of social distancing guidelines. A glass door was shattered in the process.
He was arrested, along with two others, Tuesday after refusing to leave a committee hearing room after Bedke ordered it to be cleared, state police said. Earlier that day, a committee chairman ordered two people posing as journalists to leave a table reserved for members of the media, but they refused. One was arrested.
In his six years with the department, Reynolds said he’s only issued two other similar orders.
Bundy will be barred from the capitol grounds for one year, but can make arrangements to take care of “legitimate business” with security staff. It’s unclear whether that includes testifying during legislative hearings.
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