Swift, strong reaction to Hammonds’ pardon

On Tuesday, news of Dwight and Steve Hammond being pardoned by President Trump and later released from federal prison quickly spread across the state and Central Oregon.

BJ Soper has been a supporter of the Hammonds and told NewsChannel 21 he had tears of joy after hearing the news morning.

“It’s just a happy day,” Soper said. “A good, hard-working Eastern Oregon family is finally being reunited. And it’s just a blessing that President Trump heard the words of the people and heard the cries of the people and looked into it and made his own decision as well. So very thankful for that.”

He added that he hopes this recent news will be the beginning for federal agencies to start listening to the people who use public lands.

“There’s still a big hurdle to be had there,” Soper said. “There’s a lot of issues with the Forest Service. There’s a lot of issues with access to public lands and the use of those resources, and hopefully those words are being heard as well.”

The White House released a statement saying, “Justice is overdue for Dwight and Steven Hammond, both of whom are entirely deserving of these grants of executive clemency.”

The Hammonds were convicted of arson after a prescribed burn got out of hand, burning 127 acres. Federal prosecutors said the blaze was a cover-up for poaching.

The father and son originally served 90 days in jail but were ordered back to prison to finish their five-year sentence.

The Hammonds’ return to prison sparked a 41-day standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

According to the White House, Dwight Hammond, 76, served three years and his son, Steven Hammond, 49, served four years.

The Hammonds also paid $400,000 to the U.S. to settle a related civil suit, according to White House officials.

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., put the Hammonds case on the president’s radar and got to break the news to family members.

“The White House informed me late yesterday that the president was prepared to sign the Hammond pardon agreements, and they would do so and release them this morning,” Walden told NewsChannel 21. “I called (Dwight Hammond’s wife) Susie Hammond at home in Burns and apparently woke her up with the news and reached Steven’s wife at a cattle sale in Reno, Nevada, this morning.”

The Hammonds family released a statement saying, “Our family is grateful to the president and all who worked to make this possible, to bring this about.”

The Hammonds are expected to arrive home in Burns on Wednesday.

While many cheered the news of the father and son’s pardons and release, others did not.

Aaron Weiss, who works for the Center for Western Priorities, said the pardons send the wrong message to local agencies.

Weiss said the president should have given the Hammonds a commuted sentence, freeing them but keeping their criminal records in place.

“President Trump issued a full pardon, which is to say excusing them of the crime of arson,” Weiss said. “And that is what we think it sends a dangerous message to wildland firefighters right now.”

Jaime McLeod-Skinner, the Democratic nominee who’s running against Walden this fall, told NewsChannel 21 she spoke to ranchers when the news broke. She said they’re happy with the ranchers being released but don’t want to see the divisiveness that was brought on by the Bundy militia.

“They felt the Hammonds committed a crime and should have served a fair sentence. And the Hammonds, to their credit, stepped forward and turned themselves in and (pleaded) guilty,” McLeod-Skinner said. “And so the question is how long should they serve, and that’s the problem. With the new law, there’s a five-year minimum sentencing.”

McLeod-Skinner said she agrees with Walden that the law should be changed, but added she believes the congressman is playing politics with people’s lives.

Walden responded to McLeod-Skinner’s attacks.

“This is a serious matter. No political distraction,” Walden said. “There’s obviously other issues that we’re dealing with, including making sure that we continue to have access to foreign markets. I had the secretary of agriculture in the district meeting with ranchers and farmers, where we had very serious discussions about the importance of export markets for rural Oregon agriculture products.”