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FBI Executive Guilty in Ruby Ridge Case

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FBI Executive Guilty in Ruby Ridge Case ®mic0 ★ THURSDAY, OCTOBER31,1996 I PAGEA3 NAnON FBI executive guilty in Ruby Ridge case By Jerry Seper Mrs. Weaver's death ignited a THE VSftSHINQTON TIMES Admits in court he shredded report bitter fight inside the FBI over who approved the shoot-on-sight A top FBI official pleaded guilty Mr. Weaver and Mr. Harris later Mr. Potts, who oversawthe siege policy The FBI has a ban on letJial yesterday to obstructingjustice by were acquitted onmurder charges from Washington, was demoted in force except in self-defense. TWo destroying an internal report on a by an Idaho jury. July 1995 after members of Con agents blamed in the killing have 1992 siege that resulted in the Judge Urbina accepted the plea gress questioned his leadership in sworn Mr. Potts approved the pol death of white separatist Randall and told Kahoe he faces up to 10 the siege. Others under suspen icy. He has denied the accusation. Weaver's wife under controversial years in prison. No date was set for sion are Danny 0. Coulson, former Eugene E Glenn, who headed "shoot on sight" orders. sentencing. Kahoe, who has not deputy assistant director of the the FBI's Salt Lake City office and E. Michael Kahoe, who for been fired, has told the bureau he FBI's criminal division, who was the site commander at Ruby merly headed the FBI's violent- plans to resign in January. blamed field commanders for the Ridge, said FBI executives mis crimes section and was agent in Kahoe was named last week on new shooting policy; George M. handled a review of the case to charge of the Jacksonville, Fla., a one-count "felony information" Baird, who worked on the internal protect Mr. Potts. In a May 3,1995, office, admitted to U.S. District accusing him of obstructing jus report; and Gale R. Evans, the No. letter, Mr. Glenn — who was cen Judge Ricardo Urbina that he de tice, charged with telling a subor 2 agent in Salt Lake City. sured, suspended and ordered stroyed an after-action critique on dinate to "make itappear" as ifthe The inquiry is being conducted transferred for his role — said the the Ruby Ridge, Idaho, standoff— internal report never existed. by U.S. Attorney Michael Stiles in FBI review was incomplete, inac making it unavailable in the trial Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Philadelphia. curate and designed to "create of Mr. Weaver and Kevin Harris on Sitarchuk told the judge Kahoe Mr. Sitarchuk told the court that scapegoats and false impres charges of killing Deputy U.S. has agreed to cooperate with pros •between January and April 1993 sions." Marshal William E Degan. ecutors in an ongoing investiga I^hoe placed all copies of the Vickie Weaver and her son, tion of possible wrongdoing by after-action critique into his "con Samuel, 14, along with Mr. Degan, others in the Weaver siege. fidential trash can" to be later died in separate gunbattles during Four other FBI executives, in shredded. Others were involved, the August 1992 siege. Mrs. cluding former Deputy Director he said, although they were not Weaver was fatally shot as she Larry A. Potts, remain under in identified. stood behind a cabin door by an vestigation. They were suspended The prosecutor also said Kahoe FBI sniper who had been told he more than a year ago by FBI Di told Mr. Evans to destroy a copy of "could and should" shoot any rector Louis J. Freeh — eight the report he had and "make it ap armed male. The sniper, Lon moriths after Mr. Freeh ruled pearas ifitneverexisted,"andalso Horiuchi, was attempting to shoot there was no evidence that crimes to destroy a computer disc con Mr. Harris, a Weaver family had been committed or that FBI taining the critique. E. Michael Kahoe (right) leaves a federal court after admitting that he friend, atthe time. He already had officials had engaged in "inten shredded a report on the bloody standoff in Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Kahoe was released without wounded Mr. Weaver. tional misconduct." bail until his sentencing..
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