DeChristopher鈥檚 attorneys have long contended that the government paid special attention to his case and sought to make an example out of the activist. In the course of reporting this story, I spoke with two former high-level BLM officials who disputed this notion: Jim Caswell, director of the agency at the time of DeChristopher鈥檚 action, and Henri Bisson, former deputy director of operations. 鈥淭here was no vendetta,鈥 Bisson told me.
After the story went to press, 国产吃瓜黑料 obtained several e-mails, sent between current and former officials with the BLM and the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 office, that had been requested under the Freedom of Information Act. The e-mails suggest that if there was no vendetta, government officials were at least paying extremely close attention to DeChristopher鈥檚 case. In one message, sent April 1, 2009鈥攖he day of DeChristopher鈥檚 indictment鈥擬elodie Rydalch, public information officer for the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 office in Utah, appears concerned that news of the indictment had leaked early, an error she attributes to a miscommunication with the Department of the Interior (DOI). Rydalch writes to Larry Shackelford鈥攖hen the special agent in charge for the BLM in Utah鈥攖hat she is 鈥渇ixing to call and yell at鈥 Interior鈥檚 public information officer and goes on to state that 鈥淚 am hearing from gas and oil people in DC now.鈥 It seems likely that this leak is the same one that reached DeChristopher鈥檚 lawyers through a reporter.
In a follow-up e-mail, Rydalch writes, 鈥淚 could be wrong鈥攂ut the fact that I am hearing from oil and gas lease people in DC proves it may have non-SLC [Salt Lake City] ties…His defense attorneys are spreading the word as well…hard to keep a good secret quiet, isn鈥檛 it!!鈥 Shackelford forwards the e-mail to Selma Sierra, the former BLM Utah state director, who responds with a note that confirms the high level of interest within the BLM and DOI about the DeChristopher case. 鈥淎pparently there was discussion in DC to senior managers in the Department regarding this matter,鈥 Sierra writes, presumably about the leak. The e-mail chains appear below.
Click here to read the email chain in a pdf.
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