Walden seeks presidential pardon for 2 Oregon ranchers in prison for range fire

U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, on Wednesday came to the defense of two Harney County ranchers, requesting that President Donald Trump pardon Dwight and Steven Hammond. In his remarks on the U.S. House floor, Walden noted that the two ranchers were sent to prison for starting a fire on the range, which Walden said was being used as a management tool. After the ranchers’ original trial, the federal judge hearing the case refused to sentence them, Walden said. However, the Justice Department, in the Obama Administration, appealed and the pair were sentenced to five years. “But they never should have been sentenced to this,” said Walden in his comments. Commenting the Hammond’s fire only burned 139 acres, he said, “We burn hundreds of thousands of acres every year. The government starts fires that burn onto private land nothing seems to happen. “It is time for the President to review this situation and to grant a pardon to Steven and Dwight Hammond — pull them back to their families,” Walden continued. “It’s time for real justice, and President Trump can administer that.”...MORE

from the Congressional Record

                    PARDON STEVEN AND DWIGHT HAMMOND

  (Mr. WALDEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to raise an issue that would 
``shock the conscience.'' Those are not my words. Those are the words 
of a distinguished Federal judge when he refused to sentence two 
ranchers in my district to 5 years in prison. Judge Hogan looked at the 
case and he said: That is not right. It would ``shock the conscience.''
  This Friday, the younger of those two ranchers will mark his fourth 
year in prison for starting a fire--by the way, fire on the range, high 
desert, is a management tool. They were using it for that purpose. They 
were tried. They were convicted. They never should have been sentenced 
to this.
  The Obama administration came back and resentenced them to 5 years 
for 139 acres. We burn hundreds of thousands of acres every year. The 
government starts fires that burn onto private land. Nothing seems to 
happen.
  It is time for the President to review this situation and to grant a 
pardon to Steven and Dwight Hammond, pull them back together with their 
families. They have served long enough.
  This is an issue that shocks the conscience. It is time for real 
justice, and President Trump can administer that.