Recall petition filed against Harney County Judge Steve Grasty

A recall petition has been filed against Harney County Judge Steve Grasty in the aftermath of the 41-day takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by armed militants earlier this year. Petitioners say they gathered 566 signatures, the Oregon Secretary of State's Office reported Thursday. The valid signatures of 444 active registered Harney County voters are needed to force a recall election or compel his resignation from the non-judicial position that essentially makes him chairman of the county commission. If the petition is validated, Grasty will have to resign or submit a "statement of justification" that would be printed on the ballot. If Grasty chooses the latter, a recall election would be held within 35 days of the end of the resignation period. But Grasty says he has no plans to step down. "People elected me to a six-year term, and that's what I'll do unless they decide it should become less," he said late Thursday...more