In an emotional testimony, Tuesday Ammon Bundy whose charged with conspiring to impede federal workers during the armed occupation at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January took the stand to argue in his defense.
Bundy told the court he went through the proper channels before leading the occupation at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to no avail.
In his testimony, Bundy said that he was actually reluctant to get involved in the situation of the two Oregon ranchers, the Hammonds who were ordered to return to prison for setting fires on federal land.
Prosecutors claim the conspiracy began two months before the group took over the refuge when Bundy met with the sheriff to discuss the fate of the Hammonds before they were set to report to prison, but Bundy said he was not involved in a conspiracy when he arrived in Oregon late last year.
He said he actually didn't know much about the Hammonds until he clicked on an article about them and felt overwhelmed with duty to get involved to help protect their family.
Bundy said during the 2014 standoff with federal agents in Nevada, a local sheriff protected his family, and he thought that Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward would help protect the Hammonds.
But he said the discussion with the sheriff got no result, and neither did his efforts to contact elected officials.
His testimony is set to resume on Thursday.
