Jefferson Public Radio confirms Mark McConnell tipped off Oregon State Police that Malheur occupation leaders were traveling to John Day, Oregon

JPR Confirms Report by Rich Guz: Mark McConnell Informant – YouTube

An informant tipped off Oregon State Police that Malheur occupation leaders were traveling to John Day, Oregon, on Jan. 26, according to information revealed Wednesday in court.

Authorities used that information to take Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, Shawna Cox and several others into custody after stopping them en route to a community meeting in nearby Grant County on Jan. 26, 2016.

Trooper Jeremiah Beckert testified Wednesday at the trial of seven members of the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that a government informant embedded with the occupiers at the refuge — identified as Bundy’s driver, Mark McConnell — tipped off authorities about the planned trip. On the stand Wednesday, Beckert identified McConnell as the informant. He testified that McConnell told law enforcement
the occupation leaders were on the move toward John Day and provided a
“threat assessment.”

Members of the occupation and associated patriot groups have previously accused McConnell of being a government informant.
McConnell, who has previously been identified as a leader in the III%
patriot group in Arizona, was in the car with Ammon Bundy and others at
the time of the arrests, but unlike Bundy and the others taken into
custody Jan. 26, McConnell was set free.

Shortly after the
arrests he began putting out videos on social media encouraging people
not to believe reports about what had happened, specifically reports
that FBI agents shot LaVoy Finicum as he was trying to surrender.

During the roadblock, Finicum, the occupation’s spokesperson, was fatally shot by Oregon State Police officers.

In his testimony, Beckert described helping arrest the individuals in McConnell’s Jeep before moving forward to help the officers at the road block where Finicum had drove his truck into a snowbank.

“I saw a white male in a cowboy hat lying on his back. That was Mr. Finicum,” he testified.

Beckert testified occupiers Ammon Bundy and Brian Cavalier were not armed at the time of the arrest, but added McConnell was carrying a semi-automatic handgun.

After Beckert’s testimony, defense attorneys spoke to Judge Anna Brown outside the presence of the jury. They argued they should be allowed to ask further questions related to Finicum’s shooting and possible misconduct by the FBI. Brown denied that request.

She did clarify it was OK for the defense to bring up how the shooting psychologically affected people who remained at the refuge — a reference to David Fry and Jeff Banta, two of the final four occupiers. Both of those men have alluded to feeling afraid for their safety after Finicum’s death.

Conrad Wilson will be in court once more to cover the day’s events. Follow him on Twitter for the latest from the courtroom.
Copyright 2016 Oregon Public Broadcasting.