A Utah bankruptcy judge is ordering anti-government activist Ammon Bundy to comply with subpoenas and depositions from St. Luke’s Health System regarding his finances.
Bundy filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in July to discharge a $53 million civil judgment levied against him after defaming St. Luke’s, its CEO and other healthcare providers with the system in 2022.
You can read more about Bundy's filing and the Chapter 7 bankruptcy process here.
Attorneys with Holland & Hart, who represent St. Luke’s, said Bundy refused to produce details of his finances during that lawsuit, nor did he ever sit for a deposition despite their attempts.
Bundy’s bankruptcy application lists the legal judgment as his only debt.
He sold his former home in Emmett, which he estimates to be worth $1.4 million, to his Idaho gubernatorial campaign treasurer, who then leased it back to Bundy before he moved to Utah in 2023.
Bundy described the transaction in his bankruptcy application this way: “sold house to my friend Aaron Welling to try and avoid losing our home to St. Luke’s Health System Executives.”
Since the transaction happened less than two years before he filed for bankruptcy, it’s possible the trustee handling the case could recover the home and sell it.
During a required meeting with creditors last month, attorneys for the hospital said Bundy invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination about 40 times when asked questions.
They said he also “ran his personal financial activities through a closely-held corporation,” “diverted personal assets to corporate entities,” and passed some assets to political allies while being pursued by creditors.
“If Bundy wishes to obtain a fresh start, he must produce discovery to lay bare his long-obscured finances,” attorneys wrote in their motion to the Utah Bankruptcy Court.
Judge William Thurman granted the motion Monday, along with another motion from St. Luke’s allowing them to subpoena documents and depositions from Bundy’s wife, Lisa.
In an email, Bundy said, "St. Luke has done everything they could to try and make my family and I as miserable as possible. This motion is just another attempt."
"They are opposite of a Christian organization even though they carry the name of Luke," he said. "True Christians forgive."
Copyright 2024 Boise State Public Radio
Copyright 2024 Boise State Public Radio News
