Oregon Gov. Kate Brown wrote two letters to the federal government Wednesday asking for help removing the group of militiamen she calls “armed criminals” from a remote Oregon wildlife refuge.
The letters were obtained by Oregon Public Broadcasting and published to Twitter. In a letter sent to the White House, Brown claims “the harm that is being done to the citizens of Harney County by the occupation, and the necessity that this unlawful occupation end peacefully and without further delay from federal law enforcement.”
The governor’s letter to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch claims the militiamen are intimidating the residents of Harney County. She even suggests the group appears to be itching for a fight.
“The harm being done to the innocent men, women and children in Harney County is real and manifest,” the letter reads. “With each passing day, tensions increase exponentially.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Brown argued at a news conference that the militia’s occupation of the Malheur National Wildfire Refuge is costing the state $100,000 a week, noting the “lawless” group is running amok.
“This situation is absolutely intolerable and it must be resolved immediately,” Brown told reporters at the conference, adding the White House and the FBI need to do something about the occupation. “The very fabric of this community is being ripped apart.”
“This spectacle of lawlessness must end,” Brown said.
Read the letters below.
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