Harney County recall election another test of Ammon Bundy's impact

He's been 300 miles away in jail for months but occupation leader Ammon Bundy is still roiling the politics of Harney County. County Judge Steve Grasty's decision to bar Bundy from using a county fairgrounds building in January has made him the target of a recall election. The petition accuses him of suppressing people's right to assemble and their freedom of speech. County officials last week mailed ballots to 4,421 registered voters. They face a single topic: the recall. Votes to be tallied June 28 will settle whether Grasty finishes the six months left in his term before retiring or he packs up now. The recall is another jab at the political bruises that divided the county during the 41-day armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that began Jan. 2. Bundy's seizure triggered heated local debate about the role of the federal government and how much county officials such as Grasty were in league with federal bureaucrats...more