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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Cliven Bundy Sues for Access to Police Records

LAS VEGAS (CN) — Rancher Cliven Bundy and his attorney claim in court that Las Vegas authorities aren't providing public records about communications with federal officials in a timely manner.

Bundy and attorney Joel Hansen on Monday accused the Clark County District Attorney, Clark County Sheriff and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department of violating the Nevada Public Records Act by not responding in a timely manner to their request for public records.

In an attached exhibit, Bundy included a May 19 letter from Hansen and addressed to Clark County District Attorney, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. Office of Public Information.

The attorney asked for any and all records "reflecting communications to or from or contact of any kind with your office(s) to or from any of the following: Senator Harry Reid, Rory Reid, Federal Judge Gloria Navarro, her husband Brian Rutledge, President Barak [sic] Obama, the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder and/or any agent or person acting on their behalf, regarding Cliven Bundy, Ammon Bundy, David H. Bundy, and/or Melvin Bundy, and/or any member of Cliven Bundy's family, and/or any of the other defendants in the federal criminal complaint being pursued by the U.S. Dept. of Justice."

Hansen also requested "any documents or complaints of any kind submitted to the Clark County Sheriff (Metro) by Cliven Bundy, or Ammon, David, Ryan or Melvin Bundy, or other members of the Bundy family after the 'stand off' occurred regarding the behavior of the Sheriff or of federal officers or private citizens before, during, or after the 'stand off,'" as well as those referring in any way to Obama, Sen. Reid, Navarro, Lynch, Holder, anyone at the U.S. Dept. of Justice or any of their agents.

Bundy says the defendants have no legal basis for suppressing or denying the information request, and their denial was done "willfully and intentionally, in bad faith and with callous, reckless and wanton disregard to plaintiff's rights," according to the Clark County complaint.

While the first page of the Hansen's records-request letter is dated May 19, pages two and three are dated Sept. 19, and the letter asks for the documents to be provided within seven days of its date.

Bundy currently is jailed and facing 16 federal charges stemming from an April 2014 standoff with federal authorities at his ranch near Bunkerville, Nev., which is located about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

He was arrested in February on his way to support another standoff at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. He is among 17 defendants remaining in the case.

Two co-defendants, Blaine Cooper, 36, of Humboldt, Ariz., and Gerald A. DeLemus, 61, of Rochester, N.H., each pleaded guilty in August to two felony charges and face up to 72 months in prison.

Bundy and Hansen want the U.S. District Court in Nevada to order Clark County and Las Vegas officials to conduct a search for any and all records, show they are working on the information request, and have it fulfilled by Oct. 15. They also seek attorneys' fees and legal costs.

A representative for the Clark County District Attorney could not be reached by phone on Tuesday and did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The Las Vegas Metro Police and Clark County Sheriff do not comment on active complaints against them.

Hansen was not immediately available by telephone Tuesday afternoon.

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