One of the most famous prisoners in the United States is housed just north of Tampa at United States Penitentiary, Coleman.; some people even go so far as to call American Indian activist Leonard Peltier a political prisoner, though he was convicted of murder in the 1970s. Now his supporters have asked President Barack Obama to grant Peltier clemency. WMNF News interviewed Peter Clark, co-director of the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee.
“Leonard Peltier is a Native American activist. He’s presently serving two life terms in federal prison, currently, in a maximum security prison in Coleman, Florida. And that’s in connection with tragic events that took place on June 26, 1975, where there was a shootout on private property–on the Jumping Bull property–where American Indian Movement activists had been invited by traditional elders for protection, because at that time on the Pine Ridge reservation–as on many tribal nations around the country–traditional people who wanted to reconnect with their spiritual ways and their spirituality and their ceremonies, they were being oppressed, persecuted both by installed tribal government in connection with the federal government and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
“Len has been in for 40 years now. And pending any new evidence, he’s exhausted all his legal avenues. So, that’s why we’re pushing so hard for clemency from President Obama.”
What’s the response been from the Obama administration-if you’ve heard any response or what has the response been in the past to your request for clemency?
“This is a new clemency petition that was submitted on February 17th of this year, 2016. We don’t anticipate any kind of response to a current petition. It would be highly irregular. In the past, Leonard has had a clemency petition that sat on the desk of President Clinton, was not acted upon by Clinton and then in the final days of the Bush administration–the second Bush administration–in 2009, George Bush denied that clemency application. For that reason, Leonard had to submit a new petition. A clemency petition stays open until a President acts on it–either grants it or denies it. Clinton did not act this petition. He just let it sit there.
“So, no feedback. It’s a very confidential procedure that takes place inside the Pardon Attorney’s office. The Pardon Attorney will put together a report on the petition and submit that to the Attorney General which eventually a report will get submitted to the White House. The Pardon Attorney office can do three things: pass on with recommendation for; or a recommendation against; or no recommendation.”
If people are interested in this case and they want to get involved, what’s your suggestion?
“Well, really the best thing is–this is a good moment for me to plug our website–we are the official defense committee for Leonard Peltier. There are about 5 or 6 of us on a board of directors and 2 co-directors, myself and Leonard’s niece, Kari Ann Boushee and we’re all in touch with Leonard–almost on a daily basis. So, to find out what’s going on with the campaign, how to get involved, how to donate, also we can have ready-made postcards delivered to you that you can send to the White House or we will mail them for you if you mail them back, that’s all found on our website, which is www.whoisleonardpeltier.info. We’re also on Facebook “International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee” you can search that on Facebook and like us, we’d appreciate it.”
You say that you’ve been in touch with Mr. Peltier. What are his conditions like at Coleman Prison and what’s his mood like?
“I would characterize his mood as “anxious”, especially as more time goes by and we get towards the end of Obama’s administration. Many of us feel this is his last opportunity at freedom. Leonard does not feel he will live through another presidency.
“Typically, pardons are given at the end of an outgoing president. He doesn’t feel he’ll make it that long. He has an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is a serious condition–life threatening condition–if that were to burst, where he is at Coleman federal prison, he’s in a maximum security, if that was to burst he would surely bleed out before he could get to an appropriate facility. For this reason and other reasons we’re trying to get him moved–well, it’s been ongoing trying to get Leonard transferred to a medium security where at least presumably less violent atmosphere. Because if Leonard were to get punched in the stomach that aneurysm could surely burst. So, we’re just trying to get him moved to a medium security prison, both appropriate for his age and his classification and his good time served throughout his 40 years.”
3 Responses to “Peltier supporter: Obama clemency would be “his last opportunity at freedom””
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(y) Free Leonard Peltier … well spoken Peter Clark 🙂
Who took away Ron Williams’ and Jack Coler’s “last opportunity”?
“This story is true.”
Leonard Peltier, assuring his supporters that a mysterious Mr. X shot the FBI agents, with what his lawyer, Mike Kuzma, later admitted was a complete “concoction.”
“Peter, you put my life in jeopardy and you put the lives of my family in jeopardy by putting that bullshit in your books. Why didn’t you call me and ask me if it was true?”
Dean Butler, chastising Peter Matthiessen for including Peltier’s lone alibi, Mr. X, in his book, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. An AIM member, David Hill, reportedly played the role of Mr. X in a video aired on American television.
“I seen Joe when he pulled it out of the trunk and I looked at him when he put it on, and he gave me a smile.”
Leonard Peltier, standing over the bodies of Jack Coler and Ron Williams moments after their heads were blown off, commenting on Joe Stuntz wearing Jack Coler’s green FBI jacket taken from his car trunk, as quoted in Peter Matthiessen’s, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse.
“I didn’t think nothing about it at the time: all I could think of was, We got to get out of here!”
Leonard Peltier, reacting to Joe Stuntz wearing Jack Coler’s jacket, from In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. Peltier could hear the chatter over the FBI car radio from other agents who were racing to the scene and attempting to re-establish contact with Agent Williams in response to his calls for help.
“I heard the bullet go whizzing by my head.”
FBI Agent Dean Hughes, describing Joe Stuntz shooting at him after being repeatedly warned to stop firing at responding law enforcement officers. A BIA officer returned fire and killed Stuntz, an ex-convict who had volunteered to stay behind and help Peltier escape from the murder scene, as quoted in American Indian Mafia.
“The circumstantial evidence presented at the extradition hearing, taken alone [without the Poor Bear affidavits], constituted sufficient evidence to justify Mr. Peltier’s committal on the two murder charges.”
Anne McLellen, Canadian Minister of Justice, in a letter to Attorney General Janet Reno, October 12, 1999.
“The two witnesses testified outside the presence of the jury that after their testimony at trial, they had been threatened by Peltier himself that if they did not return to court and testify that their earlier testimony had been induced by F.B.I. threats, their lives would be in danger.”
United States v. Peltier, 585 F. 2d 314, U.S. App. Decision September 14, 1978.
“This story that the government admitted they don’t know who shot the agents comes from an out-of-context quote from prosecutor Lynn Crooks. Let me tell you something. I know Lynn Crooks, and there is no one on the planet more convinced of Peltier’s guilt than Lynn Crooks.”
John M. Trimbach, American Indian Mafia
Mark Potter: “Did you fire at those agents, Coler and Williams?
Leonard Peltier: “I shot in their direction, yes.”
CNN interview, Oct 1999. Later in the interview, Peltier finally admits he left his firing position near a large tree and stood over the two dead agents.
“…I can’t tell the system I was shooting at their police officers that were trying to arrest me. They’ll hold that against me. I’ve got to be careful about that stuff.”
Leonard Peltier, 1995 interview with Native journalist Richard LaCourse, admitting that he mistakenly believed the FBI agents were there to arrest him. At the time, Peltier was a wanted fugitive under UFAP (unlawful flight to avoid prosecution) for the attempted murder of a police officer in Wisconsin. Agents Coler and Williams were looking for someone else when Peltier opened fire approximately 150 yards from the FBI cars and moved to a position approximately 200 yards away.
“When all is said and done, however, a few simple but very important facts remain. The casing introduced into evidence in fact had been extracted from the Wichita AR-15. This point was not disputed.”
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Feb 1986, finding of fact that the shell casing found at the murder scene was ejected from the AR-15 assault rifle carried by Leonard Peltier.
“The record as a whole leaves no doubt that the jury accepted the government’s theory that Peltier had personally killed the two agents, after they were seriously wounded, by shooting them at point blank range with an AR-15 rifle ….The critical evidence in support of this theory was a casing from a .223 caliber Remington cartridge recovered from the trunk of [the car of one of the murdered agents] … The district court, agreeing with the government’s theory … sentenced Peltier to two consecutive life sentences.”
United States v. Peltier, 800 F.2d 772, 772-73 (8th Cir. 1986), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 822, 108 S. Ct. 84, 98 L. Ed. 2d 46 (1987)
“There is no doubt that in June 1975 Leonard Peltier put a loaded gun in my mother’s mouth during one of her interrogations and that six months later, other members of the American Indian Movement carried out my mother’s torture, rape and murder. Leonard knows a lot about the people involved but even today, after all these years, he refuses to cooperate in the on-going murder investigation.”
Denise Maloney, daughter of AIM murder victim Anna Mae Pictou Aquash (Mi’kmaq)
“The motherf—er was begging for his life but I shot him anyway.”
Sworn testimony attributed to Leonard Peltier, boasting in the Marlon Brando motor home about shooting Ron Williams, as heard by Dennis Banks, Ka-Mook Banks, Bernie Lafferty, and (soon-to-be-murdered) Anna Mae Aquash. According to the autopsy report, Ron Williams died with his right hand held up in front of his face; there were powder burns on his fingers.
“But in the end, while crossing back and forth over the issue of ‘without doubt,’ and crossing back again to wonder, it simply took a delegation of people who were tired of all the deceptions, lies and dangers to step forward and tell me the truth. ‘Peltier was responsible for the close range execution of the agents…’ and that was the end of that.“
Native journalist Paul DeMain, April 2, 2007, writing about “people who have agonized for years, grandfathers and grandmothers, AIM activists, Pipe carriers and others who have carried a heavy unhealthy burden within them that has taken its toll.”
“… the greater probability is that you yourself fired the fatal shots… It would be unjust to treat the slaying of these F.B.I. agents, while they lay wounded and helpless, as if your actions had been part of a gun battle. Neither the state of relations between Native American militants and law enforcement at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation prior to June 26, 1975, nor the exchanges of gunfire between individuals at the Jumping Bull Compound and the law enforcement agents who arrived there during the hours after Agents Coler and Williams were murdered, explains or mitigates the crimes you committed…Your release on parole would promote disrespect for the law in contravention of 18 U.S.C….”
Leonard Peltier’s 1993 Parole Board, commenting on his aiding and abetting conviction.
“For me it’s something very heroic that he’s done. He’s putting himself at risk, seriously at risk. I will say this: that this brother is a very strong brother. He is not a cold-blooded murderer. He is not a bad person, he’s very kind, generous and sincere.”
Leonard Peltier, 1991 Darrin Wood interview, describing the man who executed Ron Williams and Jack Coler.
“I never thought my commitment would mean sacrificing like this, but I was willing to do so nonetheless. And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.”
Peltier’s statement to supporters, Feb 6, 2010.
Parole may be granted when the offender’s “…release would not depreciate the seriousness of the offense.”
DOJ policy statement on parole.
Don’t get fooled again by the Bernie Madoff of political prisoners!
Pray for Leonard Peltier to be released . . . P Sund, North Dakota