who was attorney general during waco siege and ruby ridge

by Madalyn Tremblay 10 min read

Who was the Attorney General during Ruby Ridge?

Jan 29, 2018 · Waco Siege During the early days of her tenure as U.S. attorney general, Reno faced one of her biggest challenges. In early 1993, cult leader David Koresh and his followers, known as the Branch...

Who was the Attorney General at the time of Waco?

Jan 16, 2019 · William Barr’s Connection to Ruby Ridge, Defending FBI Snipers (Washington Post) January 16, 2019 | 10:18 am James Bovard The Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Attorney General nominee...

Who is to blame for Ruby Ridge and Waco?

Aug 21, 2019 · The shootout between Randy Weaver and his family and federal agents on August 21, 1992, is one that kicked off the Constitutional Militia Movement and left America with a deep distrust of its leadership – in particular then-President George H.W. Bush and eventual President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno.

What happened in the Waco siege?

Stuart M. Gerson was the acting Attorney General at the beginning of the Waco siege as Janet Reno had not yet been confirmed (President Clinton’s first two choices Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood had various ethical problems and had to step down as a designate so Reno wasn’t nominated until Feb. 11, 1993).

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Who was attorney general when Ruby Ridge happened?

Following the siege and shootings at Ruby Ridge, that left a federal officer and a suspect's wife and son dead, Attorney General Janet Reno ordered a Justice Department task force to investigate the tragic events of August 1992.

What happened to Randy Weaver of Ruby Ridge?

A 2019 article from Penn Live says that Randy is now living in Montana, more than 100 miles away from Ruby Ridge. He lives in the state with his daughters and is now a grandfather. Sara has a family of her own, but she lived with the aftermath of what happened at Ruby Ridge for years.Apr 14, 2021

What did Randy Weaver do?

In 1989, undercover ATF agents claimed Weaver sold them illegal sawed-off shotguns and offered him the chance to become an informant on the Aryan Nation. When Weaver refused, he was indicted for making and keeping illegal weapons.Aug 21, 2018

Why did Randy Weaver have a warrant?

Ruby Ridge was the site of an 11-day siege in 1992 in Boundary County, Idaho, near Naples. It began on August 21, when deputies of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) initiated action to apprehend and arrest Randy Weaver under a bench warrant after his failure to appear on a firearms charge.

Who was president of the United States during Ruby Ridge?

George H.W. Bush was president during the Ruby Ridge standoff. After serving as vice-president for eight years, George H. W.

Where was Vicki Weaver shot?

Ruby RidgeIn the second day of a standoff at Randy Weaver's remote northern Idaho cabin atop Ruby Ridge, FBI sharpshooter Lon Horiuchi wounds Randy Weaver and Kevin Harris, and then kills Weaver's wife, Vicki.

What went wrong at Ruby Ridge?

A shootout took place. Deputy U.S. Marshal William Francis Degan, Sammy Weaver, and the Weavers' dog, Striker, all died as a result. In the subsequent siege of the Weaver residence, led by the FBI, Weaver's wife Vicki was killed by FBI sniper fire. All casualties occurred in the first two days of the operation.

What does the name Weaver mean?

a person who weaves clothThe surname Weaver was originally derived from the Old English word wefan, meaning a person who weaves cloth from long strands of fibre.

How old was Randy Weaver's son when he died?

14-year-oldWho was killed at Ruby Ridge? During the siege at Ruby Ridge, Randy Weaver's wife, Vicki; his 14-year-old son, Sammy; and U.S. Marshal William Degan were killed.

How long did Randy Weaver serve?

He left it up for prison officials to decide how much of the 13 months Weaver has spent in prison should count toward his sentence. Defense attorney Gerry Spence said his client wasn't pleased, but there would be no appeal.

Who was the judge in the James Bond case?

When the Justice Department won an initial appeals court victory in the case in 2000, federal judge Alex Kozinski warned in a dissent of a new James Bond “007 standard for the use of deadly force” against American citizens. The same court reversed that decision the following year.

How long did Barr serve as Attorney General?

That charitable work (for an FBI agent who already had a federally-paid law firm defending him) helped tamp down one of the biggest scandals during Barr’s time as Attorney General from 1991 to early 1993.

What did Barr do to help the FBI?

Barr spent two weeks organizing former Attorneys General and others to support “an FBI sniper in defending against criminal charges in connection with the Ruby Ridge incident.”. Barr also “assisted in framing legal arguments advanced… in the district court and the subsequent appeal to the Ninth Circuit,” he told the committee.

How much did the Justice Department pay for the Weaver family?

The Justice Department paid $3 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit from the Weaver family. But when Boundary County, Idaho filed criminal charges against Horiuchi, Barr sprang to action seeking immunity for FBI snipers.

What was Barr responsible for?

Barr was responsible for both the U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, two federal agencies whose misconduct at Ruby Ridge “helped to weaken the bond of trust that must exist between ordinary Americans and our law enforcement agencies,” according to a 1995 Senate Judiciary Committee report.

What is Barr's view on Mueller?

The Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Attorney General nominee William Barr have focused heavily on Barr’s views on Special Counsel Robert Mueller. But nobody is asking about Barr’s legal crusade for blanket immunity for federal agents who killed American citizens. Barr received a routine questionnaire from the Judiciary Committee asking him ...

Who spent the most time helping the disadvantaged?

Barr received a routine questionnaire from the Judiciary Committee asking him to disclose his past work including pro bono activities “serving the disadvantaged.”. The “disadvantaged” that Barr spent the most time helping was an FBI agent who slayed an Idaho mother holding her baby in 1992.

Who was the attorney for the sniper at Ruby Ridge?

Weaver was charged with ten counts, including the original charges, of illegal firearms sales. His attorney, Gerry Spence, successfully defended Weaver against a host of charges, including murder, by using a self-defense argument.

Who intervened in the Ruby Ridge standoff?

Radio broadcaster Paul Harvey intervened, offering to pay for a robust defense for Weaver if he surrendered. This was what led Weaver to abandon the standoff and surrender himself to federal authorities. The Aftermath of the Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge.

What is the Siege at Ruby Ridge?

Siege at Ruby Ridge: The Forgotten History of the ATF Shootout That Started a Militia Movement. by Sam Jacobs | Aug 21, 2019. The Siege at Ruby Ridge is often considered a pivotal date in American history. The shootout between Randy Weaver and his family and federal agents on August 21, 1992, is one that kicked off the Constitutional Militia ...

What was the best course of action for the Marshals Service?

The Deputy Director of the Special Operations Group of the Marshals Service, using evidence obtained through surveillance, believed that the best course of action was to drop the indictment, issue a new one under seal, and use undercover agents to arrest Weaver, who presumably would have dropped his guard.

What was the biggest change after the Siege of Ruby Ridge?

One of the biggest changes after the Siege of Ruby Ridge was a change in the rules of engagement. In October 1995, the Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Government Information ordered all federal agencies to standardize their rules of engagement, particularly as pertained to deadly force.

How long was the Ruby Ridge standoff?

Just a few days shy of 15 years, in what was the longest law enforcement standoff in American history. The charges were eventually dropped, under the premise that Gray had essentially served a 15-year house arrest term and that a militant confrontation in the style of Ruby Ridge didn’t benefit anyone.

Where did Randy and Vicki live?

To that end, Randy purchased a 20-acre farm in Ruby Ridge, ID, and built a cabin there.

Who was Randy Weaver's accomplice?

Kevin Harris — the accomplice of Randy Weaver involved in the Ruby Ridge standoff — testifies before the Senate in 1995. (Richard Ellis/AFP via Getty) Just as importantly, though, the internal power struggle within the FBI was decisively settled in favor of the negotiators — and their strategy of "infinite patience.".

When was the Ruby Ridge standoff?

The standoff at Ruby Ridge, which occurred in the summer of 1992 , was a relatively straightforward case of a right-wing activist taking a stand against a federal prosecution. (The Spokesman-Review, a newspaper out of Spokane, Washington, has a very clear timeline of the incident .)

How long did the Ruby Ridge standoff last?

Unlike the Ruby Ridge standoff, however, it didn't end with the surrender of the people under siege. Instead, when the FBI tried to end the siege after 51 days by aggressively tear-gassing the Branch Davidian compound, the Davidians set fires that killed more than 80 people, including 22 children.

What was the federal government's response to Weaver and Koresh?

But based on what we know about both standoffs 20 years later, it's fair to say that the federal government's aggressive response to Weaver and Koresh probably led to the deaths of people who hadn't committed crimes and who did not need to die. In both cases, the federal government made key decisions based on data that was just plain wrong.

Why is Waco a symbol?

Waco is a symbol because the government's errors were more egregious, and because they arguably resulted in the deaths of 22 innocent children.

How did the federal government respond to the Oklahoma City bombing?

With one hand, the federal government responded to the Oklahoma City bombing by passing the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (the same law that, 20 years later, would help spark the occupation in Oregon) — but with the other, it was quietly changing the way the FBI responded to standoffs with right-wing militia groups.

How old was the boy who killed the marshal?

US marshals who were monitoring Weaver and his family ultimately got into a firefight with Weaver, a friend, and Weaver's 14-year-old son, resulting in the death of both the marshal and the 14-year-old. The gunfight prompted an 11-day standoff before Weaver and his friend surrendered.

Who was the White House counsel who was responsible for the attack on the Branch Davidian compound?

Appearing on CNN’s Larry King Live, fmr. White House aide Linda Tripp suggested that Deputy White House Counsel Vince Foster — at Mrs. Clinton’s direction — transmitted the order to move on the Branch Davidian compound, which culminated in a military style attack.

Who was the special forces investigator who claimed Hillary Clinton set up a special crisis center in the White House?

Tripp’s allegations lend weight to charges made previously by Special Forces expert and Waco investigator, Steve Barry — who claimed Hillary Clinton set up a special “crisis center” in the White House to deal with Waco.

What was the FBI responsible for?

The next day (March 1, 1993), also at the request of Treasury Department officials, the FBI became the lead agency responsible for resolving the standoff with the Branch Davidians. The Branch Davidians, an offshoot of the Seventh Day Adventists, strongly believed that the Second Coming of Christ was imminent, and that the end ...

How many ATF agents were killed in the shootout?

Four ATF agents were killed and sixteen were wounded during the shootout with the Branch Davidians on February 28. Additionally, a number of individuals inside the compound were killed and injured; however, the number killed by ATF gunfire cannot be precisely determined.

What time did the FBI hear the fire at the FBI compound?

The fires rapidly engulfed the compound in flames and smoke. At approximately 12:25 p.m., the FBI agents closest to the compound heard what they described as “systematic” gunfire. Many agents believed at the time that those inside were killing themselves, killing each other, or both.

When did the FBI start the cult?

When the FBI and other law enforcement agencies began their fateful 51-day standoff with a religious cult in Waco, Texas, known as the Branch Davidians on 28 February 1993, Bill Clinton had just taken office as President a month earlier. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was the lead agency on the issue, directing law enforcement operations ...

Who is responsible for decision making in the FBI?

The primary headquarters responsibility for decision-making throughout the crisis at the FBI lay with Director Sessions, Deputy Director Clarke, and Associate Deputy Director Gow. The Attorney General believes she was adequately informed and that the FBI was forthcoming.

What happened to the Ruby Ridge cabin?

It ended violently after 51 days on April 19, 1993, when a fire destroyed the compound after an assault was launched, killing 76 people. Timothy McVeigh cited both Ruby Ridge and Waco as motivators when he bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

Where is the Ruby Ridge cabin?

Ruby Ridge, location of an incident in August 1992 in which Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and U.S. marshals engaged in an 11-day standoff with self-proclaimed white separatist Randy Weaver, his family, and a friend named Kevin Harris in an isolated cabin in Boundary county, Idaho.

Why did the Ruby Ridge standoff happen?

Ruby Ridge was the site of an eleven-day siege in 1992 in Boundary County, Idaho, near Naples. It began on August 21, when deputies of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) initiated action to apprehend and arrest Randy Weaver under a bench warrant after his failure to appear on firearms charges.

What is Lon Horiuchi doing today?

WASHINGTON Since his days at West Point, when his fellow cadets knew him as “Hooch,” Lon Horiuchi has built a career as an Army officer and FBI agent on two key qualities: physical fitness and cool judgment.

Are there any movies about Ruby Ridge?

The Siege at Ruby Ridge is a 1996 drama television film directed by Roger Young and written by Lionel Chetwynd about the confrontation between the family of Randy Weaver and the US federal government at Ruby Ridge in 1992. … The miniseries was edited together to become the film The Siege at Ruby Ridge.

Where is Vicki Weaver buried?

Birth20 Jun 1949 Iowa, USABurial Cremated, Location of ashes is unknown Memorial ID35122608 · View Source

Who was attorney general during Ruby Ridge?

Following the siege and shootings at Ruby Ridge, that left a federal officer and a suspect’s wife and son dead, Attorney General Janet Reno ordered a Justice Department task force to investigate the tragic events of August 1992.

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What's going on with the delta variant of COVID-19?

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Overview

Bibliography

• "Hearings before the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress regarding Administration's fiscal year 1994 budget proposals for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, U.S. Tax Court, and Internal Revenue Service, April 22 and 28, 1993." Link to online and PDF versions.
• "Events surrounding the Branch Davidian cult standoff in Waco, Texas: hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary, H…

Background

The Branch Davidians (also known as "The Branch") are a religious group that originated in 1955 from a schism in the Shepherd's Rod (Davidians) following the death of the Shepherd's Rod founder Victor Houteff. Houteff founded the Davidians based on his prophecy of an imminent apocalypse involving the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the defeat of the evil armies of Babylon. As the origi…

Prelude

On February 27, 1993, the Waco Tribune-Herald began publishing "The Sinful Messiah", a series of articles by Mark England and Darlene McCormick, who reported allegations that Koresh had physically abused children in the compound and had committed statutory rape by taking multiple underage brides. Koresh was also said to advocate polygamyfor himself and declared himself married to several female residents of the small community. The paper claimed that Koresh ha…

The Aguilera affidavit

The ATF used an affidavit filed by David Aguilera to obtain the warrant that led to the Waco siege. The official filing date of this affidavit was February 25, 1993. Allegedly, the initial investigation began in June 1992 when a postal worker informed a sheriff of McLennan County that he believed he had been delivering explosives to the ammo and gun store owned and operated by the Branch Davidians. This store, named the "Mag-Bag", had been identified by the said postal worker as sus…

ATF raid

Using the affidavit filed by Aguilera that alleged that the Davidians had violated federal law, the ATF obtained search and arrest warrantsfor Koresh and specific followers on weapons charges, citing the many firearms they had accumulated. The search warrant commanded a search "on or before February 28, 1993", in the daytime between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm. The ATF made a claim that Kores…

FBI siege

ATF agents established contact with Koresh and others inside the compound after they withdrew. The FBI took command soon after as a result of the deaths of federal agents, placing Jeff Jamar, head of the Bureau's San Antonio field office, in charge of the siege as Site Commander. The FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) was headed by HRT Commander Richard Rogers, who had previously been criticized for his actions during the Ruby Ridge incident. As at Ruby Ridge, Roger…

Final assault and burning of Mount Carmel

Newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno approved recommendations by the FBI Hostage Rescue Team to mount an assault, after being told that conditions were deteriorating and that children were being abused inside the compound. Reno made the FBI's case to President Clinton. Recalling the April 19, 1985, The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord (CSA) siege in Arkansas(which …