Renowned anti-government agitator, Ammon Bundy, faces a hefty price for his controversial actions. An Idaho court ordered Bundy to compensate a local hospital to the tune of over $50 million for defamation and inciting disruptive protests.
Ammon Bundy, the Hospital, and “Baby Cyrus”
St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center bore the brunt of Ammon Bundy’s incendiary acts while treating a malnourished child referred to as “Baby Cyrus,” who was under protective custody. Bundy, known for his involvement in the far-right People’s Rights Network (PRN), was arrested for trespassing in March last year, stirring controversy around the hospital.
Riding a wave of unwavering audacity, Bundy launched a week-long protest alleging the hospital had “medically kidnapped” the child. Further fanning the flames of controversy, he claimed it was due to a “missed non-emergency doctor’s appointment.”
The Fallout of Bundy’s Actions
Two months after the protest, St. Luke’s hospital struck back with a defamation suit against both Ammon Bundy and the child’s grandfather, Diego Rodriguez, also a PRN activist. Their respective companies, including Rodriguez’s Freedom Man Press, which broadcasted the contentious “kidnapping videos,” were also named in the lawsuit.
